Copy of

DIARY IN THE YEAR

1959

KEPT AT

MARMADUA STATE FOREST

(40 Km. West of Tara)

QUEENSLAND

AUSTRALIA

BY

PAUL LESLEY DEWITT JONES

NOTE

Notes for the purpose of clarification not in the original diary--- {* example}

Sat. 24/1/1959

Saturday light rain, clearing in afternoon. Went to town in the morning, had a few beers, I would have liked to have gone to Dalby, but I will wait and see what Barbara has to say when she writes to me.

Sun. 25/1/1959

Spent the day fixing brakes on my car. I have felt very depressed today, just thinking about Barbara gets me down, I might get a letter from her next mail I think I will know my position with her better then.

Mon. 26/1/1959

Had a quiet day did some more work on the brakes, I got the hand brake working good and then broke the cable so now I have no hand brakes at all.

This afternoon I dragged my old motorbike out; it started on the third kick, which wasn’t to bad considering it, has been about six months since I last started it.

There might be a letter from Barbara in the mail tomorrow, I am wondering how she took my last letter, I think I banked it on to much in my last letter, in fact I think she might not write, or she might write and tell me were I get off.

Tue. 27/1/1959

Back to work after the long weekend, we went out to the break today, I was chopping in the morning and in the afternoon I went on the chain behind George on the tractor.{* a heavy chain was attached to rear of the D4 Caterpillar tractor, and somebody had to follow it and hook the chain onto stumps, and then unhook it after the stumps were pulled out} It started to rain about three o'clock and we came back in, and then mucked around camp until knock-off time.

There was no letter from Barbara, she might have got offended with my last letter, but more likely she has just not bothered to write, I might get one from her on the mail on Friday.

I got a letter from the insurance today they did not have anything to say except that they will contact me again.

Thurs. 29/1/1959

Yesterday I went out Marking with Jim, Jim got stung four times with hornets, but I was writing numbers on the trees so Jim copped the lot.{* Jim would pick the tree to be cut and cut a blaze were the stump would be and also a blaze each side at around shoulder height, I would then stamp all the blazes with the crown hammer and write a number on the two upper blazes}

Jim, John, Cyril and I went into Tara last night They all gave me five Bob towards petrol, Jack gave me four Bob to get some grog for him, it was the only way I could go in as I am broke. We saw a Hillbilly show, it was the weakest show I have ever seen.

Today John and I were on the chain behind George on the D4 tractor pulling stumps, and Jim was throwing the stumps off. It was the hardest days work he's ever done I think.

Its been a very hot day, and I new I had been working by the end of the day.

I wonder If Barbara is going to write, I should get one tomorrow, I am not sure whether I want her to write or not, I know it would be better to break it off with her but I don't want to.

Fri. 30/1/1959

No letter from Barbara, so it looks like she might have been offended. In my heart I am hoping that she will write, but my head tells me that it is not going to work out.

I went crowning logs with Jim this morning {* stamping the logs with a hammer (that has a crown imprint on the face) after they have been cut and before they are trucked to the sawmill, to verify that they were the ones that were previously marked}

Old Harry had his family with him including dogs and fowls. {* Harry is the name of one of the men that cuts and trims the Cypress Pines already marked, his camp also consisted of a tarpaulin strung up between two trees under which they camped, he and his family, they had a house in Dalby, were his family usually resided, He was a very solid build man in his late fifties with red hair and beard to match, he also owned three A model ford trucks but only one at a time was going, because he only had one battery and one magneto for them. I sometimes went out on weekends to earn extra money, and trimmed the branches off the logs for him after he cut the trees down. }

Harry reckons he is going to teach Judy (his eldest daughter fourteen years) to drive, Harry is the worlds worst driver, I only wish she was a bit older I would teach her to drive myself.

This afternoon I was mucking around with the relief truck and a bigger bomb I have never seen, it will only do thirty five miles an hour flat out and has no guts at all.

Sun. 1/2/1954

Yesterday morning I went to Tara on the Ration truck, I paid another ten pounds of my repair bill, which leaves thirty to go, and got my stores. We left town about half past one. John and Cyril gave me a quid each to go to Dalby.

I called into Barbara's only to find that she has another bloke in tow, I did not know at the time he walked out of the door as I walked in. I asked her to come down for a drink, She said she had made arrangements to go the baths but she was not sure whether it was on. I said I would call back at half past seven and see what she was doing which I did, and I asked her was she going down and she said she was, but she was going with this other bloke and she said she was going to the dance with him, I said I would see her down there and walked out, I went down town again and had a couple of beers with John and Cyril, and then left them and went down to the dance, they said they would be coming around to the dance when the pubs closed.

Barbara and her boy friend never turned up and neither did John and Cyril. They told me latter what happened, they had met her and her boy friend around at the Windsor hotel, and from there had gone to a party, and it was a brothel of a party too. Meanwhile Brian {* Barbara's brother} and myself were cruising around looking for John and Cyril- about two o'clock I got sick of looking for them and as Brian said it would be alright to camp at their place, I thought I would and find them in the morning, so I went around and had a cup of tea and then curled up on the sofa, I was- just about asleep when in walks Barbara and her boy friend, and if ever I saw a man pack the shits it was that bloke, but he had no worries as far as I was concerned because I am thoroughly disgusted with Barbara, and although I still love her, I know she will never stick to one man, I would have taken anything else and already took most everything else from her.

I will not try and compete with half a dozen other blokes, so I just walked out after she told me John and Cyril were down town, and picked them up and went on out to camp.

We arrived back at camp at half past four this morning, and although I was dead tired I could not go to sleep for quite awhile, but one thing I'm sure of is that if I had known what sort of a party it was things would not have ended as quietly as they did. It has taken me a long time to wake up to Barbara but now that I have and it hurts like hell, I have learned my lesson and in future I will go for what I can get, and if I find a girl that will stick to me I will never let her go.

I got up about ten and had breakfast and then did my washing, I did nothing else except lie on the bed and read.

Mon. 2/2/1959

I went Marking with Jim again today, but could not concentrate on the numbers and my mind was not on my job today, I think that next time I go to Dalby I will try and have a talk to Barbara and let her know that I am awake up to her and also get the fifteen pounds she is holding for me.

Tue. 3/2/1959

Today every man in the place went out to clear a new site for another Tower, {* these Towers were used to spot and locate fires they consisted of four wooden posts around 15-25m. high with a small hut about 2½m square with windows all round, a ladder went up from the ground to a trapdoor in the floor, inside in the centre there was a table with a map with the Tower marked in its centre to which a rotatable pointer with a sight and bearing marked. I used to man one off these towers frequently during the summer months, there was a phone and later a transceiver, when a fire was sighted a bearing would be taken, and then a neighbouring tower would be contacted for a cross bearing.} We had to go twenty-one miles to get there and it took one hour to get there, I drove out there and back. The Moonie Highway is terribly rough as far as Bitumen hill, but after that it is quite good. The Main Roads have started work again on the bitumen, there were Graders and all types of machinery, it looks like they are just about ready to start laying the bitumen.

We had to cut a track through the bush for twenty chain to the to the bottom of the ridge and then walk up about six or seven chain to get to the top of the ridge, it was the hardest days work the gang has done for some time, we were axing ironbarks to about three foot through, and I was completely buggered at the end of the day.

Wed 4/2/1959

John, Claire, Ted and I were working on the Fire break in War War, George and Cyril were grading the old road that runs past the tin hut,{* These huts were scattered throughout the Forestry’s, consisted of posts with a corrugated roof and gutter with a down pipe running into a- water tank, there main purpose was to supply water in the event of bush fires}. We had a fairly easy day today, we finished every thing about two o'clock, and I helped Ted sharpen the crosscut saw. At ten to three, took the truck, and went to pick up George, Cyril, and Jim, I dropped Jim at Harry's in the morning and he walked through and was going to mark the road for the tractor.

The road was alright till about two miles past the tin hut and then it turned into a Blitz wagon track that the surveyors had used when they were surveying in 1942, it was so narrow in one place that I just scratched the bark on two bull oaks on each side, as I went through.

I got as far as Dunmore Creek and then pulled up because it was two sandy, I could hear the tractor, so I walked up to the tractor, They were on there way back.

As soon as I got back onto the good road and I was running about half an hour late so I told the boys to hang on and went, I was going from lock to lock doing twenty miles an hour, and as soon as I got past the tin hut I was able to get up to thirty. I picked up Clary, John and Ted, and then I had to pick Jack up on the highway end of the old Dunmore road, as soon as I got on the good road I traveled up to forty miles an hour, the Austin wouldn't do any more, we got home about ten minutes late, Percy {* The overseer, who lived in a house separately, with his family} called me back just as I was going up to the barracks, he reckoned that the system I have for running his six volt wireless off the 32 volt system which I also worked out and put in was buggering his batteries. I have got a 32 volt globe 60 watt in series with a 6 volt battery which trickle charges it at about an amp, so I cannot see how it would hurt it, I think I convinced Percy that it must be the battery.

The time would be about 11 pm, I have lying here and doing some serous thinking, I am writing this by the light of my torch, and I have reached a conclusion. I am not in love with Barbara, that is I am not in love with the Barbara I now know, the real Barbara I am still in love with, the other one I had when I was down in Sydney. That Barbara was all I ever wanted in women, but she is as dead as if she really died, The Barbara I now know, the real one has nothing I would want in a woman, let alone a wife. The other one, the one I had in Sydney, that is the one I love and will always love, but she is gone and there is nothing I can do to bring her back, so I now feel free to go after other girls. Next time I go to Dalby I will try and get Barbara by herself and try and explain this to her, and also give her a few words of advice, but I will have to be careful I don't want her to think I am bitter because I am not. One can work out any thing and this is the way in which I have worked out my problem- (I hope).

Thurs. 5/2/1952

We spent to day making the road that I was nearly caught on yesterday wider, it is now quite good.

I was a bit late picking up George and Cyril, and Cyril sure had shit on the liver, and we had quite an argument. I don't know why he blamed me for being late I only drive the truck I am not the boss and I have not got a watch. Jim is supposed to be the overseer, {* Jim was a trainee overseer} and he did not tell me the time until a quarter to four. I tried to explain this to Cyril and also said; "That I could not travel very fast on that road". "I've been driving trucks on the forestry before you were born";- He said; "And there is not a road that you cannot do twenty five miles an hour on". Now this made me a bit cranky and I said; "I defy anybody to take these corners at twenty five, and that includes the great Cyril Shore" (I thought he was going to bust a blood vessel). "Don't call me the great Cyril Shore," he said. "Well that's your whole outlook on things," I said, "Anyway why blame me, why don't you go up to Jim or aren't you game," I said this as I was climbing into the truck. "I have got more guts than you," he said as he climbed into the back, and that was that.

I went over to Bakers this evening after knocking off work, with George. The car Mrs. Baker uses to take the kids to school was broken down and we went over to see if we could fix it, George went over yesterday but did not have any luck. The trouble lay in the carburetor, which was a S.U. type, the throttle slide was stuck through lack of oil, and as soon as we got it unstuck it went as good as gold.

We had a cup of tea, and I promised to go over there this coming week end and fix their Southern Cross diesel motor which was seized up, they were going to use it to run a generator for thirty two volt lighting plant, If I work it right I might get the job of doing the wiring for them.

{* The Bakers owned a sheep and cattle property adjoining the forestry, they used to own swimming baths at Toowoomba, but were flooded out and then moved to were they were now, they salvaged enough material and brought it with them, from which mainly they build there present house, along with the rest there was the Southern Cross one cylinder motor along with thirty two volt generator and batteries etc. The motor was seized up through being emerged in water but the batteries were Ok. Frank was a tall lanky fellow and his wife was a small woman that had been left with stunted arms and hands from Poliomyelitis but still managed the normal tasks including driving, I became good friends with the family over time.}

Fri. 6/2/1959

Ted and I spent today mucking around camp, the rest of the gang went out to finish the road, I have had a headache all day, but it is nearly gone now.

I have been doing odd jobs all day, I fixed the lawn mower and after dinner I did the camp. {* Empty and clean out the toilets etc.} We had about five or six points of rain at one o'clock.

Percy came up just as I was finishing tea, he came up to ask if one of us would mind moving out onto the verandah, as there is a painter coming for a couple of weeks.

Sun. 8/2/1952

I have spent the week end over at Frank Baker's place he has six thousand acres about three miles from camp, he wanted me to fix his Southern Cross diesel, I pulled the head off it yesterday and found the cylinder was full of rust, I cleaned it out and put the head back on, she would kick over but would not keep going, there was too much compression getting past the valves, I pulled the head off again and then went back to camp and got my valve grinding paste and went back over I was riding my motorbike, I spent about two hours grinding in the valves, and put the head back on, It went perfectly.

I went back to camp and got my meat and some clean clothes and went back to Frank's, I stopped there Saturday night,- and this morning I started on the wiring, I got two lights finished completely and the wire in for another four. the eldest lad of Frank's seems a pretty bright lad he was helping me today.

I went for a swim this evening with the kids (four boys altogether) in the dam, the water is very clean and the fish were jumping out everywhere, about seven Pelicans flew off as we approached.

Frank asked me how much I charged a day, but I told him to leave it until the job was completed and then pay me what he thought it was worth.

I stopped for tea and then using a torch, which I borrowed from Frank I, rode the motorbike back to camp.

I got back to camp about eight o'clock, and Ted informed me that Percy wanted to see me, so I went down to see what he wanted, he told me that Dave Browning the Overseer at Breamar {* an adjacent forestry} had hurt himself and he wants me to go over for a week or two, I have got to leave first thing tomorrow morning.

Mon 9/2/1952

I am writing this at Breamar, I got here at about half past nine this morning, Kevin Smith and another old bloke (I just forget his name at the moment), Kevin used to be over at Marmadua, he used to be a hopeless case, but he seems to have grown up a bit now he is about six months younger than me and I'm twenty one.

There is another bloke I don't know his full name, but he is known as Bead. he is on holidays at the moment, he is the only married man here.

They are working on a break {* fire break} and we went out there, there is no tractor here only a motorized winch which they call the "Herdy Gerdy", consequently all the trees have to be grubbed six inches under the ground.

The truck I came over to drive is in pretty Fair shape and it is a real pleasure to drive after the bomb of relief truck we have at Marmadua, Though Percy said that we were getting a five toner, I don't know whether I will be driving that one or not.

I called into Frank's on the way over this morning, and told him I would be over next Sunday.

The barracks here are built on the same style as the ones at Marmadua {a cypress pine building comprising of about three room with two wire beds, with a veranda along the front, at one end a kitchen equipped with a small fuel stove, cupboards and table with benches, and outside at the back of the kitchen, a galley comprising of a tin shed around fiver meters by four meters, at the back was a open fire place full width, with a opening across in the roof forming a rough chimney. In front of the fireplace there was a wooden table and benches} but instead of three room there is only two the kitchen is smaller too; they have a good galley it is a lot higher than ours and therefore not as smoky.

It would now be about eight o'clock, and it is thundering and raining lightly, we may get a bit of rain out of it.

Tue. 10/2/1959

Had a very uneventful day today we were grubbing all day on the break, there was a slight shower just before lunch and it rained a bit going home.

Sid bought some milk over this evening, a bit of fresh milk is sure better than powdered milk. Sid is a funny- bloke in some ways, he milks six cows looks after about seventy fowls, ducks and geese, and a pig for Dave, he also separates and makes butter for him even when Dave is here he does all of this, and Dave takes the butter and milk and eggs into Dalby, of cause Sid gets all the eggs etc. he wants.

Kevin tells me that on new years eve Barbara was sitting in the car with Noel Ashmoor for over an hour drinking, he was one bloke I did not think Barbara would play around with, of cause I would not lay to much on what Kevin says.

Wen. 11/2/1959

Today was the same as yesterday we went out grubbing on the break, it was overcast most of the day, it started to sprinkle about half past two and any excuse is better than none, so we knocked off and went and sat under the fly until it was time to go home.

Thurs. 12/2/1959

We had four points of rain during the night, and it remained overcast until about two o'clock, we were doing the same thing again to day (Grubbing!)

Dave came out while we were at work but we did not see him. Only one more day to go before the weekend thank goodness. Time seems to drag here; I wish I was back at Marmadua.

I will be taking the truck into Dalby on Saturday to get the rations, when I get back I will change the oil in the Prefect and go into the dance in Dalby. I still want to have that talk with Barbara, and I might be able to work it when I am in there.

Fri. 13/2/1959

We went out on the break again, today, but only for half a day. We got back in at one o'clock and I spent the afternoon on the truck.

Kevin and I went for a swim this afternoon, its certainly good but it made me very tired after.

Bead came over after lunch, he is a very big bloke he reminds me of a guerrilla.

Kevin reckons he is going north and cut cane, he talks of nothing else, I think he is silly myself, he only weighs a bit over eight stone, but if enthusiasm has any thing to do with it he might do alright.

Sun. 15/2/1959

I had a pretty busy week end, I took the ration truck in on Saturday morning, we took some stuff around to Dave's place, he has a house in Mortain St. he thinks he might be coming out next Tuesday, he has got to see the doctor on Monday he has had four stitches in one leg, the lawn mower caught a stone and it hit his leg and ricocheted onto the other leg.

I went down town and got my cheque and then went to the bank of NSW, and asked the teller could I send some money to the NSW bank in Tara through them, they said they would which took a load off my mind as the payment on the car is due on the seventeenth.

I got my stores and met Brian and Bill, and had a couple of drinks with them, we got out of town about half past twelve, coming out of town I nearly had a head on collision with a red and cream Ford Custom, I was just coming out off Dalby, I was only doing about thirty, when this Ford came- along doing about forty, they must have been drunk, because when they were about three chain away they went careering across onto there wrong side of the road and headed straight for me, I swung the wheel hard to the right and missed them by a couple of feet, and you would think that would have been enough for one day, but no, when we got back to Breamar I was backing into the barracks and I had a full foot to spare, but that bloody silly looking Bead Carter had to open the door and as I was looking out the drivers window I did not see him open the door, and the bloody thing caught a post, he then tried to blame me, saying I had no right to back it in there, which is ridiculous because I had plenty of room, and it is the driver that decides were he is going to back, and the passengers have no right in opening the doors while the truck is moving, Bead ended up in wanting to fight me but I wouldn't, not because I was frightened because he was three parts stung, and I think I could of handled him alright, but I just could not see any sense in it, it would not have fixed the door and I wanted to get back to Dalby, and it would only have spoiled every thing for me.

I don't know what Dave will say, it is the second time I have hurt this truck, the first was when I smashed the mudguard when we were fighting a fire at Marmadue about a year ago.

As soon as I changed the oil in the Prefect, I went back into Dalby, I got back in about half past four, I called into Scully's {* Mrs. Scully was Barbara's mother who ran a boarding house} and picked up my clock which I left there quite a few months ago, and then went down town. I wandered around for a while and then met up with Brian, we had a beer or two and then went to the Paragon for tea, Barbara was on duty, she said she was going to the dance, But she never did, after we just cruised around and we saw a couple of girls that Brian new and he introduced me to them, one was called Carol, and the other was a quarter cast by the name of Mary, they were both quite nice, although Coral is very loose moraled, but she does not pretend to be what she is not, and it is refreshing change to a lot of girls, Mary works at the convert and is pretty religious. They both piled into the Prefect which meant there was four in the front {* the Prefect was a utility (1951)}, and we were going to go for a drive, but before we went we decided to get a couple of bottles of beer and take them out of town, as the girls are not twenty one and therefore not allowed in the pub.

What happened next was a bit hazy at the time, as I had only met Coral a quarter of an hour before. Brian and I went into get the beer and ordered a couple for ourselves, when we heard a bit of a commotion outside, we went out and there is Coral and Larry Grouse's wife going full bat at each other, names were flying thick and furious, what had happened was that Lorry Grouse's wife was supposed to have been saying that Coral was pregnant, and that Billy Scully was the father. Now I don't know whether there is any truth in this or not, but it is quite possible, anyway Coral called this Grouse girl a liar and the Grouse girl hit Coral across the face. Now Coral has her left arm in a sling so she could not do much, they were there throwing dirt at each other, Lorry Grouse picked on Brian and wanted to fight. Brian talked him out of it, and I don't blame him ether because this Lorry Grouse was supposed to have been light-weight champion of Queensland a couple of years ago, another girl that Brian knows arrived on the scene, she is- a blond piece only would weigh about seven stone, I don't like her much, she is in the same class as Coral but she is a bit of a prig.

Things quieted down about then and we got away, Coral and Mary in the front and Brian and Val in the back, and went around to Coral's place. She wanted to go to the police but we talked her out of it. We all ended up at the dance, we met Bill and his mate Tex there.

Bill and Coral disappeared for ten minutes soon after we arrived it does not take much to guess what they were doing, Bill confirmed it after.

Brian was supposed to meet a piece at a play that was on, so Brian, Carol, Mary and another bloke that was trying to get on to Mary, and me went around to the play, Bill went with Val on the pretext of taking her home but I know what he was after, I never saw him after that, so I don't know whether he did any good or not.

We waited out side the hall for the play to end, Brian was sitting in the back and this other bloke was trying to get on to Mary, I was playing up a bit with Coral, But I didn't try to hard, there is to many involved with her already and I don't want to be caught holding the baby, anyway the one that Brian was after wasn't at the play, so we went back to the dance, when the dance finished we went around to Corals place and dropped off Coral and Brian and took Mary back, I did not try anything, I just took her home and came back to pick up Brian. I pulled up out side and Coral came out and asked me to come in so I did and we talked for a while and then Brian and me went back to his place. Brian said he was doing alright with Coral, and her mother came out to the door so he missed out. I camped around at his place; it was about two o'clock when I got to bed. I was up at six o'clock this morning every body was still asleep so I went down town and brought the papers and sat in the car and read them. I went back after about an hour, as I walked in the door I could see Barbara in the living room talking very confidentially with her boyfriend, I did not disturb them I just went straight in where Brian was sleeping, I was in there for about ten minutes when I walked out Barbara seemed surprised to see me. I had a cup of tea and then took Barbara to work, I tried to have a talk but she did not seem interested and kept changing the subject back to more conventual lines, and I think that is just how she is, just not interested, I would give anything for it to be deferent, but I can't do anything.

As soon as I dropped Barbara at the cafe I came back to camp. I did a bit of washing and a bit of reading and went to sleep for about three hours until Kevin came in with a broom and kept annoying me until I got up.

Mon. 16/2/1995

We went back out to the break again today and was using the tree puller it was a change from grubbing, (but O brother!) was it hard work {* the tree puller was a hand operated winch with a long handle that worked a ratchet as the handle was pulled back and forth}. it started to rain at lunch time thank Christ, and we came back to camp. We got in about two o'clock and there was not much to do so we knocked off.

Bead came down this afternoon; he did not mention anything about Saturday so I let it go too, the time of reckoning will come when Dave gets back.

I got a very long letter from Mother yesterday and she thinks I should keep trying for Barbara, she said she thinks it might still work out, nobody knows how much I wish it would. I have never wanted anything more in my life for it to work out, what Mother does not know is that she is going for this other bloke, and before that it was Phil the engineer at the flour mills, these two have been since we came back from Sydney, before that it was a bloke called Noel, that was just before she met me, so you can see she likes to change her men as often as her sox, but I will remain friends with her in case she ever changes.

Tue. 17/2/1995

It started to rain about two o'clock this morning, and it has not stopped for more than an hour since, at a guess I would say we have had close to three inches. It was to wet to go to work, so I have had a very easy day only getting off my back to eat and going back to bed, I think I might write to Mother tonight or at least make a start at it.

Wen. 18/2/1959

We have had a few showers to day but nothing much, we have had four hundred and fifteen points of rain altogether, at about nine o'clock we went for a drive in the Austin truck, to see what the main road out was like, we had to cut one tree off and pull a couple of smaller trees off, I got bogged when I was turning around to go and get some stone to put in a creek crossing that had washed out, but luckily we had the tree puller on so we did not have much trouble pulling it out.

Dave came out to get his milk and stuff, and he said he wouldn’t be coming back to work until next Monday.

I will have to try and get over to Frank's this weekend, but now I come to think about it, it might be to wet, I should have gone over last Sunday but when I got home all I wanted to do was sleep.

Tue. 19/2/1959

I got into the worst bog I have ever got into today; it was on the new break where we have been working. We had no trouble getting to the break, although a creek about a quarter of a mile from the job has been a banker, one can see were the water has been on the trees and fences, about three foot, and nearer four in places.

I did not intend to take the truck down the break, but when I got there it looked alright, but she went down about seven chain down the break the front sank into the axle, we had to turn the truck around with the tree puller, and wind it three chain with it, before we finely got the truck out, the tree-puller only winds an inch of gable every time the lever is pulled backwards and forwards, it took us four hours to get it out.

Kevin was getting very shitty towards the end and was trying to tell me how I should go about getting the truck out, he knows bugger all and proved it when he reckoned I should rock the truck, it is that sort of real spewie sort of country, and if I had tried to rock it, the only thing that would have happened would have been for all four wheels to have gone down to the axles, Kevin is the sort of bloke that thinks that he is right all the time, though after we knocked off work and were talking in the kitchen he said of his own accord that he had been in a bad mood, I told him that its all very well him being in a bad mood- but one of these days when he is in a bad mood I just might be too. Old Sid never said a cranky word all the time we were bogged, there was a job to do getting the truck out and he just went ahead and did it, unlike Kevin who was winging the whole time.

Rangers bridge over the Condamine is under water, so heard on the wireless, so we might not be able to get to Dalby vie the Condamine highway this coming Saturday. There is a flood by-pass but I am not clear where it is, but the other blokes know were it is so we ought to get in alright.

Fri. 20/2/1959

Another week’s work done though I must confess there was not to much work done. Wilky creek is up over the guideposts and unless it goes down by tomorrow we will not be able to get to Dalby.

Kevin and I got a couple of loads of wood this morning and old Sid spent the morning doing the times {* Pay sheets etc.}, I greased the truck this afternoon.

Kevin is getting very prody, this afternoon we had another yike, I'm not sure what caused it, I think it was something to do with the time I said I was going to leave town, nothing much happened he got cranky and would not talk to me, and I was talking to Bead, Kevin was sulking for awhile and then said something, I forget what it was, I said; "I thought you weren't talking to me, so why don't you shut up for a while", he got very nasty then and told me if I wasn't careful he would come across and knock my teeth right through to the back of my neck ( forgetting of course that I haven't any ). I just looked across at him and said in a very sad sort of voice"; I am very sorry Kevin but you just can't seem to scare me", he shut up then and was alright after awhile.

Mon. 23/2/1959

I took the ration truck into Dalby last Saturday, Kevin, Bead and Sid came in with me. I made an appointment with the dentist to get fitted for my teeth, they will cost me thirty guineas, I am banking on Barbara giving me the fifteen Quid she is minding for me. She was going to get it out of the bank Saturday but she forgot.

Kevin stopped in town, Bead, Sid, and I left for camp right on twelve o'clock. We saw Dave when we first went in and he said that he would be back at work Monday.

Rangers bridge was flooded so we had to come in and go back vie Rangers bridge flood by-pass, it links the Condamine Highway with the Moony Highway. It is a good gravel road

I got all my gear together, when we got back to Breamar, and loaded the Prefect up, and after saying good bye to Sid left for Dalby, as I was nearing the highway a root jumped up half knocking the exhaust off. I stopped and had a look, and after making sure it wouldn't fall right off continued on my way. She sounds like a real hotrod now.

I forgot all about Rangers Bridge being flooded, and when I got down there it was running just below the guide posts, I had to turn around there and retrace my steps for five miles till I came to the flood by-pass, I called into Mrs. Scully's place as soon as I got in. I had tea there and fixed it so I could stop the night, she did not want any money but I gave her a Quid anyway.

Brian and a mate of his called Warren and me went down town after and had a few drinks at the Commercial.

Jenny and Girlfriend came into the Bar, they were going to go to a dance at Warra, we went to a dance at the Buffalo's hall. I had a very good time it was the best dance I have been to for a long time. Val was there, Coral wasn't but I was not expecting her to be as she told me that morning when I saw her down town that she was going to Toowoomba.

Barbara and her boy friend arrived about half past ten (It still hurts when I see her with him, but I am beginning to be able to control my feeling by sheer will power), I had the last dance with her, much to her boyfriends displeasure I think. After the dance Brian, Warren and I took Mary home and then went back to the boarding house, Bill took Val home it must have been three o'clock when he got in (?)

On Sunday Brian bought a thirty-nine Chev. I did all the talking and arranging for him, and took it for a run, it is worth the eighty Quid that they wanted for it. Brian gave them (meaning the car sales bloke the one next to the Club hotel) ten pound then, and promised to give him another thirty pound next Saturday, and then ten pound a month, as soon as we fixed things up I left then to pick up Val and Coral, who Bill and me had arranged to go to Broadwater

With about an hour before. I picked them up and then went around to Scully's to get Bill who was waiting for us there.

The four of us went out in the Prefect, and Brian and Mrs. Scully and Barbara's baby Marshell and a crowd of blokes from the boarding house went in the Chev. Barbara and her "Brisen" went on his motorbike. We had quite a good day; there were quite a few speedboats and skiing going on.

Soon after we arrived Brian went back to Dalby, (I think it is about eighteen miles from Dalby to Broadwater) to get Mary Who we had forgot in the rush, Carol went with them, and Bill had gone of somewhere. Val was sitting in my car alone so I get in and we had quite a long talk. She is very struck on Bill and wanted him to go down to her people's place with her, but he would not, and she wanted to know what I thought about it. Now I know Bill, and He has not made any secret that he was going with her for what he can get, I did not want to tell her this, because I did want to make trouble, so I just told her that I thought that bill was a bit young (he is eighteen) and I did not think he would stick to one girl for very long. I felt very sorry for her, and it made me relies that I was not the only one that things went wrong for. As it turned out Bill told her later that he was leaving Dalby, I think my talk with Val may have prepared her for something like this, but when we took her back that evening to the Windsor were she works, she looked terrible miserable. When Brian got back with Mary- Coral Mary and Val went in swimming, I did not go in as I had already got dressed, instead I sat in the car and watched Barbara and her boyfriend, I must still love her because it hurt a lot when I see her with him, but I will never let her know.

When the girls finished their swim Carol came and sat in the car with me, I am nearly sure I could get on with her if I wanted to, and I might just for the hell of it, it would be one way to forget about Barbara. She wanted me to stop in Saturday night and I was nearly going to, but she had to race to Toowoomba, her cousin came out to Broadwater to get her, he said that the police in Toowoomba wanted to see her, she did tell me she had fight with another girl when she was down there, I wasn't listening very much at the time, I wish I had now. We all left soon after that,-Bill and Val in the front with me, Mary and Bills young brother Stooge (He is about fourteen), I just forget his real name but he is always called Stooge.

There was a Holden bailed up in the first creek after we left Broadwater, but I went through alright, but I was slipping the clutch like mad.

It was on the way back that Bill said he was leaving Dalby.

We dropped Val off at the Windsor and then took Mary around to the Convent, and then went around to the boarding house. I had some tea there and then headed for Marmadua, I arrived at Marmadua at about nine o'clock, it was certainly good to see all the boys again, and although there was a lot of groans when I walked in I am sure they were glad to see me back.

Today I went out Marking to old Harry's, and then took George to where they were grading in War War. We could not get out along the rabbit fence as the Finch Creek crossing was sanded up, so we had to go out the East West Break. Finch Creek crossing was alright but the Durabilla crossing had a lot of sand in it, but I just got across. As I was just about to go into the crossing silly old Clary jumped out of the back of the truck and went arse over head, I heard the rest of the boys yelling out but I thought they were yelling out at Jim Who was down in the crossing moving a few rocks about.

Jim got bit on both legs with Bull ants when we were Marking, poor Jim always cops it.

Tue. 24/2/1959

I went crowning with Jim today out at Harry's. {* After the trees have been marked and cut down and trimmed into logs, the numbers previously put on when Marking are checked off and the end of the log and the top of the stump were stamped with the grown hammer, we also had to measure the length and girth so that the quantity of timber could be calculated (The cutter was paid, and the sawmill was charged on this), after this the logs were able to be loaded and carted to the sawmill.} We went around the Rabbit fence, Jack Fixed the Finch Creek crossing yesterday a bit. {* Jack operated the Cat 12 grader}

I will bail up on Jim one of these days, we did not have lunch until two o'clock, Jim seems to think he can get away with anything, but I have bailed up before because of that and I'll do it again too.

I got another letter from Mother today and one from Ruth, Ruth must think me and Barbara are still coming down, I will have to tell her we won't be when I write.

Wen. 25/2/1995

We went out and worked all day making the new firebreak in Durabilla. I left the truck at the beginning of the firebreak and then walked down to were we had to start, about fifty-five chain from the beginning.

I sank my axe into a pine and the dam thing nearly Jumped back out again it was so blunt, Jim had been using it as a grubbing axe while I was at Breamar, I Just hope I can get hold of his axe one of these times and give him a bit of his own back, and see if he likes it.

We worked fairly hard today, there was a lot of big pines to axe, but I don't mind axe work, its that grubbing I don't like, we don't have to do much of it because the tractor pulls all the stumps.

John, Jim and I were on the axes, and George and Clary were pulling the stumps.

Thurs. 26/2/1959

We went out to the break again to day after dropping Jack and Cyril at there respective machines. When we got out to the break Jim took the truck to do a bit of Marking at old Harry’s, Clary and George were pulling stumps not far from the beginning of the break, and John and I walked about half a mile down the break to were we finished yesterday.

The mosquitoes were terrific, I was forced to put my shirt back on, Quite a few times I would make a swipe at one and get four.

JOURNAL 2

Fri. 27/2/1995

We broke through to the other half of the Break today, though there is still about a week’s work yet cleaning up. The Break is three miles long altogether.

John, Jim and I were on axes again to day and Clary and George pulling the stumps.

The Mosquitoes were bad but we took a bottle of Kercoata out, (there is a four gallon drum in the store room) and we simply sloshed it on, the moseys wouldn't come near us it is Army surplus stuff and very powerful stuff.

We came home for lunch (Jim was driving the truck today), and after lunch I did the service on the truck and carted a few logs around to the back of the Tennis Court were we are building a loading ramp.

I got a very big surprise this afternoon when Percy told us that Kevin Smith had applied and got an overseers possession, if it is the last thing I do I wont Take orders from Kevin, even if it costs me my job. Its my own fault that I am not getting on, every time I want to apply for something I let Percy talk me out of it, like this afternoon, Percy said something about a truck-drivers possession still being open for a truck-driver on the new Bedford five toner, but when I said I would like to put in a application for it he said- Don't do that, that the Caterpillar tractor would be going away and that George would not be going with it, and That he would get me a job driving it. He has made promises like this before and they have never amounted to anything. He said to keep it under my hat about the tractor, but he has no worries about that, because I don’t want to make a fool of myself, I don’t really care because as soon as I get the car paid off I will most likely go back to Quakers hill with Mother and Frank. I wish I was with them now, but I will have to wait until I get the car paid off before I do anything rash.

I gave my car a wash this evening, the first one it has got since I got back from Sydney, it makes a hell of a difference with all the mud washed off it, it really looks quite flash.

George is coming into Tara with me tomorrow, I hope to get out early and go over to Frank Baker's and finish that job.

I was half way through washing my car this evening, when one of the men from the sawmill came up, he said he wanted to buy my old motorbike, I said I would for thirteen and a half notes, I asked him did he want to hear it go, he said; "Yes", so I started it up, and we went for a spin, I went up the road through the cattle-grid towards town. I had turned through the grid and there was a straight stretch,- a favourite trick of mine is broad-sliding, he tried to flip the bike back, a thing a pillion rider should never do, anyway I lost control and the bike threw us both, I landed on my arm and would have rolled, only this other bloke came down right on top of me, I took a fair bit of skin off my arms and a bit of my lip. The only skin the other bloke lost was off a couple of his fingers.

Sat. 28/2/1959

I am writing this at Frank Baker's place, I am stopping for the night.

This morning I went to Tara in the Prefect, George came in with me, I paid another ten pound off my repair bill, I asked them how much I had to go and they said I still have forty five Quid to go, I said; "That would hardly be possible, seeing I had already paid thirty Quid off the-- bill and it was only fifty four to start with". He said that they must have forgotten to enter it up and he would fix it up for me.

I left town at half past ten, Jim came out with us, as soon as I got back to camp I unloaded my stores and then came over to Frank's.

I got the switch board rigged up it took me most of the afternoon to figure it out, all I kept getting was shocks and sparks but I finally got it all worked out and it works good. I also converted there Iron into 32 volts One, I should get the lights in tomorrow.

About half an hour ago a drover and a dark women arrived, they were just going through, but Frank asked them to stay the night, they are very nice people, the talk turned to cattle, dogs and horses as it always will when drovers get together.

Mon. 2/3/1959

The drover bloke is Michael Carmardy and the dark woman is his wife, they own a small place next to Franks. They do a bit of droving on the side, it is the first time I have Personally known a mixed couple, and I did not think it would work, but they seem very happy and she seems to be the ideal wife. Frank said that Michael met her up north.

They stopped until about ten o'clock Sunday and then called in again that evening.

Les Hall arrived at about nine, to have a look at a windmill he is going to put in. Les is somewhat a genius, he is known throughout the district, he has done a lot of lighting plant installations; in fact he has his ticket for up to a hundred and ten volts.

I was talking with him for quite awhile, and he said my wiring was alright, and if he says so that is good enough for me. He was telling me about the gas-producer he built during the war, and how the coppers in Tara tried to take it off him because he did not have it licensed, and how he eventually got it licensed. He said that when he was filling in the form for the licence it had a place for the serial number, and since he made it himself it did not have one, so he reckons he got a number of an oil drum that was part of the gas-producer and put that down.

He has also made clocks, does electric welding, and yet he looks like a real dill- hair all over his face, one of the most ugly faces you would see on a man, and the funniest drawl when he talks I have ever heard. His brother Bill Hall is a lot worse; they look very much the same too. Bill Hall has a place along the short cut to Tara.

I have heard before and Les confirmed it, that there father made his own false teeth using clay from the bottom of the bore drain to take the impression. When the family came to the district first, they made a steam engine out of a four-gallon tin to pump water out of the bore drain.

Les was telling me about the only time he ever did a job at Meandarra, he was putting the wiring in the Catholic Church and he had the priest off-siding for him. He said; "When I found out the priest was going to off side for me I said to him, I suppose I had better watch my language. The priest said O! that’s alright but you had better not let Mrs. Murphy hear you any way I will give you a knock down to her when she comes over, and he did, anyway I got up into the sealing to do the wiring and looked along the rafters, and they did not look to strong, and I said to the priest, I don't think I had better go out there I don't think it will hold me. The priest said well what are you going to do, and I said Christ knows. The priest said it is no good blaming him, I got you blokes down here to do it".

I said to Les then; "I believe that the priest at Meandarra likes his spot of grog". "Yes"; Les said, "he used to put two bottles of wine in a wet bag under the tank-stand every day I reckon that's enough to kill any man".

I finished all but three lights in the house Sunday and went over this evening and did another two, I have still got to do the Engine-room, Garage, Laundry and the second Bathroom, and put about four power-points in.

I was on the chain with George today; there was not many Moseys thank goodness.

I started to drive the truck out this morning but Jim kept turning the ignition key off every I went a couple of miles over the twenty five miles per hour speed limit, so I stopped the truck and told him to drive it himself, if Percy asks me why I won't drive it I will tell him that I won't as long as Jim is riding in the cabin with me.

Tues. 3/3/1959

I was on the chain again John was with me, Ted and Clary were digging holes under the stumps for Jim. {* The larger stumps that were too big to pull out with the tractor were blown out with gelignite and/or ex-army land mines. The holes had to be dug under the stump so that the explosives could be packed around the taproot.}

Ted came back from his holidays yesterday, he got a taxi from Dalby, He drives a Vanguard but he hit a train at a crossing near Oakey yesterday morning. He said he was driving along and heard the train whistle, but he thought it was on the main line, he said he saw the train when he was just about on to the crossing and stood on every thing, he said that when the police measured the skid they were seventy four feet long, he reckons that he pulled up a foot away from the engine and thought that he had missed it, but before he could reverse off, a step on the water tender caught the car and threw it right across the road and headed it back the way he had come. Ted reckons it did a hundred Quids worth of damage to the body, just about ripping the front off, but did not hurt the radiator or engine, he was able to drive it on to Dalby and left it there to be repaired.

I got the light (a Handy) going that Frank gave me last night, it still leaks a bit but I will fix it properly one of these nights.

We had a pretty hard day today but we got about thirty chain pulled, another day ought to just about finish that break, I would not be surprised if we start Ring-barking soon. }* These forestry's were natural, there for the stands of timber were mixed up with all sort of other trees etc, so as to facilitate the wanted trees growth they were thinned out and all rubbish trees and undergrowth were ether cut down or ring barked.}

Wed. 4/3/1959

I went Marking with Jim this morning, he has been very nice to me all day. I told him he had no right interfering with the truck while I was driving it, Overseer or not, He reckons that the rules was made to stick too, I have seen Jim drive up to sixty miles per hour, I told him that if he thought I was driving to fast the only thing he had any right to do was report me, but if he had reported me every body that has driven the truck would come down with me.

This afternoon I was picking up roots after George had ripped the new break.

After work I checked my bomb over and got it ready to go to Dalby.

Fri. 6/3/1959

I went to Dalby yesterday and got my teeth fitted I had four appointments nine o’clock, ten thirty, twelve thirty, and four o'clock. The first time I went he took the impression, I felt as though I was choking when put the tray full of a black looking goo in my mouth, it was pretty hot too, the second time I went he sort-a touched up the first impression, he had me there for about an hour, he could not pull them out top or bottom, I had to shut my mouth and blow hard before he could get them out, he said this was good and I should have plenty of suction when I got the finished product. The third time I went he had another impression of pink wax. The fourth time I went back he had the teeth stuck in the wax and he gave me a mirror to see how they looked, I reckon I look worse with teeth than I do without, They seem to push my top lip to far out. He asked me did I want the natural gums which would cost five pound extra, I said no the ordinary ones would do, but now I wish I had of taken the others because I show a bit of gum and you can pick the ordinary ones- right off, if he has not started on them when I go in tomorrow I will tell him to make the natural ones, he said they would be ready by Saturday week, he also said it would be alright if I give him fifteen Quid when I picked them up and the rest in a couple of weeks.

I saw Barbara and asked her if she had got my money but she said she had forgot, her mother said she had ten pounds but I did not take it, it is not her that I got to mind the money for me.

I went around to see Coral but she was not home, her mother was and she told me Coral had got a job out at Jandowae. I asked her what the strength of the episode out at Broadwater when these blokes and this girl came out and told Coral that she had to go back with them. Corals mother said that they just made it all up. I saw the girl later, she boards with them, she reckons that she had nothing to do with it, but I don't believe her, at a guess I would say she was the one that did most of the talking, I will get to the bottom of it before I am through.

Corals mother is going to ring Coral up and if she wants to come in for the weekend I agreed to fetch her in.

I had a very easy day today. Today George and I took the grader and the ripper {* both implements were old tag-along types that was pulled behind the Caterpillar tractor} about three parts of the way to Dunmore, where the tractor from Dunmore met us. We had the ripper on the truck and the drag grader hooked on behind. We got back to where George has his tractor at lunchtime. This afternoon I put two new universals in the truck hoist, and greased and washed it. I will be off to Dalby again tomorrow.

Mon. 9/3/1959

I went to Dalby again on Saturday I went around to Corals place first, Coral's old man was home, I think he works on the railway near Jimbour some were, but I would not be sure, he would be about five foot ten or eleven, and would weigh about thirteen and a half stone, Corals mother was there too, she said she had not had time to ring up, her husband said; "Let her stay out there for a while it might make her appreciate her home". And I was inclined to agree with him, (about letting her stay out there I mean) When I found out it was over sixty miles to were she works, anyway her mother said she was only out there for a fortnight.

I have heard it rumoured that she is having a baby, and that is the first thing I will find out about, when I see her next, and if it is true you won't see me for dust, I don't want to be caught holding some one else's baby. I was only there for about half an hour and then I went up town and got another burner for the light old Frank gave me, first one was the wrong kind.

I called into Black Jack's and asked him what time Barbara came to work, he said she was not working that day which was a lie because I went around soon afterwards and Mrs. Scully said she had just gone to work. I went back up town and walked straight in to Black Jack's, I did not bother to ask him this time, I just walked up to the back of the shop and started talking to Barbara, she was wearing her new glasses, it makes her look a lot older and a bit like a school teacher, I asked her about the fifteen Quid. "O!" she said; "I forgot all about it". "I thought you would," I said. She then wanted me to get it off her mother, but I declined, I did not want to run her mother short just because I was silly enough to get Barbara to mind it for me.

Barbara is not trying to do me out of it although she thought it was only ten pounds and I had to remind her that she borrowed five pounds to pay the rent one day, (but it just proves again she dos not care for me one little bit).

I mucked around with Brian the rest of the day. We sold an old car he had, had around at the old place for fifteen Quid, which he is going to pay off his Chev, The Chev is broken down, the big ends have gone and it is going to cost thirty pounds to fix it.

I tried to talk Barbara into coming to Warra with us, and she was going to if her boyfriend wasn't going to take her; I was mainly trying to him jealous and I succeeded to a certain extent, or maybe I was just trying to prove to myself that she won't stick to any man and it was not just my self, because although I still care one hell a lot for her, and I hate seeing her with this other bloke, I would not go back with her, there is to much involved, and- nothing to be gained from it. As soon as Barbara boyfriend heard that I might take her he said he was.

Brian and Lorry (Warren's Brother, a very nice bloke about nineteen) and another young bloke John, that works at a garage (a bit of a rat), and I went around to the Windsor to pick Val up, who Lorry was taking, Midnight (Mary) was with her. We had a couple of drinks, Barbara and her boyfriend arrived and we had a couple of drinks with them. I got a very dirty look from her boyfriend when she said something about the wind blowing her hair, I said; "Well one of the boys can get on the motorbike and you could come with me", (of course I new she wouldn't) but John came in lovely, he said; "O! I'll go on the bike". Barbara's boyfriend said; "No you wont!".

We left for Warra soon afterwards Brian, Midnight, and Me in the front, and Lorry, Val, and John in the back. Lorry and Val were trying to eat each other all the way out.

It is thirty miles to Warra, and we got there about nine o'clock. Brian, John and I went straight in and left Lorry with Val and Midnight, Lorry was a bit shitty about it because he had to pay out thirty bob, it was ten bob a head to get into the dance, but I said to him that he was the only bloke getting a smell, so why should we pay for it, he did not say anything to that.

I had a couple of dances with them and then went up to the pub with Brian and John, as we were going up the Copper from Warra pulled us up and asked us how old we were, I was the only one twenty one but the others said they were too.

We got back to the dance just after ten, and from then until two o'clock when the dance finished I only missed three dances.

It was the best dance I have been to since I have been in Queensland, though I have only been going to dances for six months. There were two bands, one conventual dance band and one a rock and role band.

Jenny was there, I have known her as long as I have known Barbara, in fact Barbara introduced me to her, her boyfriend was there with her but he wasn't dancing with her much so she was teaching me to Jive, I haven't had so much fun for quite some time, and although it was the first time I have tried to Jive I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Vanessa was there too, I met her first about three or four months ago when a party of us went out to Rangers Bridge, she is a really nice girl (a red head), I would not think she would let one get fresh with her at all, I had about six dances with her.

Lorry is not a bad driver and he and Val never let up on it, they were quite good to watch, Lorry has the real Sydney bodgie style.

I saw Bill there (Brian's brother), he is working out at Jimbour, I did not talk much with them. We all left as soon as the dance ended, I was too tired to drive so I let Brian drive, he had, had about an hours sleep in the car before.

The only thing that happened on the way home was when I was half asleep, I had my knee up on the dash, I must have pushed the switch because the lights went out, Brian pulled up with a jerk and wanted to know what the hell happened, I woke up to it after awhile and switched the lights back on.

I did not stop awake to long when we got back to the Boarding house, and tumbled straight into bed.

On Sunday I went down to the pool in the morning and then again in the afternoon, Brian and Warren came with me both times. Val and Lorry came down in the afternoon.

Brian and Warren pinched a bangle and necklace off Val, I thought this was a bit mean but I did not say much.

I went out to camp about four and got here just before dark.

Today we went out on the new break doing the green brake. We have to fall all the dead trees for a chain each side of the break, John was carrying the ladder and I was climbing up the trees with the steel rope, Old Ted and Clarry were axing the small ones.

Jim was trying to through his weight around this morning, he is making his self very unpopular with everybody. John had thrown some scraps of bread out for the birds, and Jim came along and wanted to know who threw the bread out, John said; "I did". "Well you had better pick it up and throw it over the fence, you are making the place like a Boongs camp". "I wont pick it up," said John, and then went on to remind him about the time he left rabbit in a billy for about a week, and when he left some prawns in the safe and we were all wondering were the smell was coming from. "That’s not the point." Jim said. Anyway he told John to pick the scraps up a number of times and John wouldn't, so Jim picked them up and threw them under the table in the Galley. Now this was a very childish jester, they were a lot worse there than out side were the birds would have cleaned them up. When we got home I swept them back out side again, Jim did not say any more about it.

Tues. 10/3/1959

When we went down to work this morning we were all sitting on the back of the truck waiting for Jim to come out, (I won't drive the truck since he switched it off on me that time). Nobody, except some times George will sit in the cabin when Jim is driving. Anyway Jim was just about to hop in to drive when Percy came along and told Jim he wanted him to go out with him, so George gets behind the steering wheel and John and I gets off the back and jumps in the front. Jim saw us, so he must realize that nobody likes to get in the front with him.

We went out doing the green break again. Today I was climbing the trees with the steel rope again. I have a lot of fun too, instead of climbing down again, I get George to take the slack out of the rope and then climb out along it and then George lowers me to the ground.

Wen. 11/3/1959

I went Marking with Percy today and I drove the truck for the first time since Jim switched it off on me that time. He told me to drive so I had to seeing he is the boss. Percy said I had better do better in the numbers than I did last time with Jim, {* when writing numbers on the trees that were marked for felling, I sometimes marked two trees with the same number, or even got to say 199, and then went back on the next one to 100, so ended up with a hundred numbers the same. So after they were felled and trimmed into logs, and we went back to check them we had to record them with a "A" prefix for the numbers that were duplicated} I said;" He could not expect the numbers to be much good, when Jim goes from half past eight to half past two without a break, there is no need for him to do that." What I did not tell him, was that I was not too careful last time I went with Jim, because I reckoned that if I made a few mistakes I would not have to go with him again, I don't mind going Marking with Percy.

At lunch time Percy sent me back to boil the billy and I headed off in the direction that I thought the truck was in, I walked for about five minutes before I realized I must be headed in the wrong direction, so I turned around and went back to were I first started, and tried two more times before I woke up that I was going in the wrong direction, when I got back the third time I realized that two Pine trees looked in a different position, than when we first walked in, so I walked around them until they looked the same and then walked straight away from them. When I got back to the truck Percy was already there and had the billy boiled, and did I get some ribbing when we went to pick up the boys and Percy told them that I got lost.

Mon. 16/3/1959

Last Thursday we were working on the green break, and in the evening George was going to town, so Cyril, Jim, John and I went with him. I had to borrow a Quid off old Ted. We had a couple of beers and then went to the Pictures. The first picture wasn't much good but the last one wasn't too bad.

Friday was a holiday because of the Tara show, I did not go to the show, but instead did my washing in the morning and headed for Dalby about three o'clock. I went to a dance that night at the St.Joseph hall Things were very slow until the Pictures came out, and then it got better, Lorry and Val came with me.

Saturday went to the Dentist at half past nine and got my teeth. I paid him ten pounds out of the money I finally got from Barbara, which leaves about twenty two to go, I think he will have to wait for a while. When I first got my teeth they felt like nothing on earth, they made me feel like vomiting for the first three hours, it was just like somebody stuck there fingers down my throat, eating was very difficult, I don't know whether I am chewing my food or my teeth. The top is good but I cannot control the bottom ones.

I got my stores and took them around to Scully's where I was stopping for the weekend.

It took me about an hour to eat lunch, but I finely made it, after lunch I went up town and was cruising down the main street when I saw Coral, she had her little sister with her, we picked up her father and then went around to her place. She asked me what I wanted to see her about, I said it was only about what happened at Broadwater when I took her out, but it did not matter now as I had already seen the blokes when I was in Tara last Thursday and they admitted it was a put-up job.

I took her to the Pictures that night, and Mary had to come along two, I used to like Mary but she is always wanting me to run her some were, she must think I am a taxi or something. We went to the dance after for a couple of hours, Coral would not dance but that did not stop me, I met Shirley there. I first met her about nine months ago and she was hitting the grog a lot then, but she is different girl now, she is married and her husband left her that is why I think she went wrong, but she says she has now met another bloke and is trying to get a divorce, she seems very pleased to see me and I had a couple of dances with her.

After the dance Coral wanted to go for a drive, and that would have been alright with me only Mary wanted to come, so I didn't, instead I dropped Mary off at the convent- and then took Coral home. We stopped out in the car for about an hour talking, and did a bit off necking. Coral can't kiss very well, and it is not the same as when I used to kiss Barbara, she could kiss the best of any girl I know, after her kisses Corals seem very tame, what it amounts to is that I kiss Coral and she does not kiss me back.

Noel Ashmoor (A boarder at Scully's) woke me up at half past Six; he wanted me to run him down to work, so I did.

I went around to Corals place about ten, and Coral and Norm (Coral's Brother) and Shorty (Barbara's young brother about twelve) went out to Broadwater, we took some sandwiches and a couple of bottles of beer and had quite a good time, there wasn't many skiers, I only wish I had more money I would have had a go at skiing.

We left fairly early because I had to run Coral out to where she works at Cooranga North, which is about forty miles from Dalby.

When we got back I dropped Norm off at there place, and Coral and I went around to Scully's to pick up my Port. I left Coral out in the car and went in to get my things together, I happened to look out and I saw John, another young bloke about nineteen or twenty sitting in my car talking to Coral, I did not take much notice, but a couple of minutes later I heard the Prefect start, and on looking out of the window saw it pull out with Coral at the wheel. It was the first time any body has taken my car, and Coral or not I was going to get up her when she got back. They were only away about five minutes and I was really angry by the time they got back, as soon as they pulled in I went out, John was at the wheel, they had changed over up the street, so I took it all out on him, I was trembling with anger, and I said; "who gave you Bloody car, get out of my F------ car you Bastard". He got out and I was calling him for everything, I completely forgot my language and I was just holding myself back, at the moment I wanted nothing more than to plant one fair on his chin, I don't think I have ever been Quite so angry in my life, and if Coral had not been there and it had not have been out side Scully's, she would have been on for sure, because I don't thing he would have backed down, as it was when he said; "What are you going to do about it." I said; "I had taken better men than him", (which is not true because I don't like fighting and if I can I try to get out of it), but Coral was pleading with me and it was about that time I realized that it would not be the best thing to start anything outside Scully's, so I added; "But I would not bother my self with you", as he turned around and started to walk away he said; "Your not game." I said; "don't say that boy", and I just started after him, and Carol called me back, I thought; "Bugger it", and got in the car. Coral said I took the car and we changed over up the street, so if you want to take it out on anybody take it out on me, I said I won't take it out on a women, She said that John had dared her to take it.

After I cooled down I went in and got my Port and went around to her place, and after having a cup of tea, Norm, Carol and I started of for Cooranga North. Norm had to come with us to show me the way as I was not sure of it, I would liked to have taken just Coral. We had tea when we got there.

Both the man and woman that Carol works for seem awfully nice people.

I promised to ring Coral up not this week end but next weekend.

Norm and I got back to Dalby about ten o'clock, Norm was talking fight all the way home about all the scraps he got into; I got very tired of listening. Otherwise he does not seem a bad bloke. As soon as we got back I remembered that I had left my groceries at Scully's, so I went around to get them, then we went back to Corals place and had a cup of tea. Mrs. Fletcher happened to mention that there new grill that they had just got, blew the fuse every time they tried to use it, so I had a look at it, using my torch for a test lamp I found a short in the Thermo-stat, and as soon as I fixed it, it went good.

I left about eleven o'clock and got back at camp at about one o'clock.

To day we finished off the green break, I was terrible tired all day and carrying the steel rope thirty foot up the ironbarks did not improve me any.

Wen. 18/3/1959

Yesterday we cut a track in, in War War for the timber trucks, it was half a mile long and twelve feet wide.

In the evening George was taking Frank and Mrs. Baker in to a school bus meeting in Tara, so I went in with him to see the Quack about my Finger- {* About six months before while collecting rocks for a creek crossing, a rock around eighteen inches square rolled of the top, and jammed the top of the left little finger, as it jammed my finger I pulled back leaving the top off my finger under the rock, with the bone sticking out from the finger, looking some what like a bit of wire that was stripped of the insulation, on going into the doctor he removed the bit of bone to the first joint.}

I got a letter from the insurance last week, asking me to go and get it examined so they could excess the damage.

I thought I would get about twenty Quid but the doctor seems to think I will get fifty to sixty Quid out of it, I hope I do It would put me on my feet again, I still owe Modern Motors Twenty Quid and the dentist over twenty, but I don't think I will cut off any more fingers.

Today Jim and I went Marking, I am getting a bit better with him now, it started to rain about one o'clock so we sat under the fly until the truck picked us up about three.

Thurs. 19/3/1959

John and I went out with Percy and Jim to O'Connell's, it would be a twenty mile trip and we did not get there till Smoko time, we all did a bit of Crowning, and then Percy and I went to look for an old survey line, we found it after a bit of walking around. The line would be at least sixty years old by the look of the stumps; it was very hard to follow. Soon after we started Percy went back to do some Marking and Jim joined me, we followed the line for about a mile and a half to where it crossed the creek and lost it.

A Hornet got me on the ear today, it was when I was following the line, I blazed a dead ironbark on one side and Just started to blaze it on the other side when it got me on the right ear, and by Christ it hurt for awhile, there nest was about twenty feet up in the tree, there must have been about sixty hornets on the nest.

It started to rain about two o'clock and we left, it had stopped by the time we got to pick up Clary and Ted who were splitting logs to use on the creek crossing, (Clary- is leaving at the end of the week) so we gave them a hand carting the slabs down to the creek etc. until it was time to go home.

Fri. 20/3/1959

I rigged up lightning conductors on the Fire Tower today. Percy wanted me to go up on my own but I talked him into letting me take Clary with me, the Tower is forty feet high and I had to climb around outside it, and get on the roof at one stage, I put two lightning conductors about six feet above the roof, and running down to two separate earths. I got back to camp about ten past three, and Percy gave me two gallons of petrol for taking the Prefect, so while I was getting the petrol I helped myself to a pint of oil.

At about three fifty I went to pick up Cyril who was hoeing up past the rubbish heap a couple of miles.

John, Cyril, Jim and George have gone to Tara tonight, I am too broke to go, I wont be going any were till next week except to go over to Frank's this weekend to finish the wiring.

I noticed that the Prefect is starting to blow a bit of smoke again and the knocks in the engine are getting more pronounced, it won't be long before I have to do the motor up.

Mon. 23/3/1995

On Saturday morning I did my washing, and about two o'clock I went over to Frank Baker's. I only got one power point in because George Rolling called in and I was talking to him. Jim is going down to Sydney for Easter, and I only wish I had a bit of money I would have gone down with him.

On Sunday I finished the clipping of the wiring in the house proper, and put a light in the garage, and put a light out side the front door, in the afternoon I put a light in the garage and one in the spare bathroom.

I have still got to put two power-points in and about three lights, when I have finished there will be nineteen lights and three points, I have still got to put a fuse in, there is one on the switch-board and it covers it while the motor is not going, but with the motor going and anything happens and the fuse blew the current comes from the generator through the light to the batteries. I think I will go over tomorrow and put the fuse in, and then I will know it is safe, I might ring Coral up and see what she is doing on the weekend, (we get four days holiday).

If I don't get on with her this time, I will let her go, I've been given the run-a-round to much with girls and I'm not going to be the fool any longer.

Frank was not there this weekend; he is taking a mob of Wethers into Tara sale on Wednesday. He wants to go in for Ewes and Lambs, I think he is doing the wrong thing because the country is to poor, and it is also dingo country, and I think he will loose most of them to dingoes.

George says that in Dalby {* the main office of the Queensland Forestry Dep.} they wanted to give me a machine and that Percy would not recommend me, it can't be that he does not think I can handle it, because if anything goes wrong with the truck I'm always the bloke that fixes it, I'm also the only one that has been able to keep the radios working, and I have fixed the Generator motor more than once, I wired his house and quite a few other things. I might have tickets on myself but I think he wants to keep me around, which is very mean of him. Not that I care- because as soon as I pay off the car I want to go back with Mother and Frank, but all the same when I go to Dalby next I will try and find out more about it.

Today we cemented the Well's Station Creek Crossing, we used six bags of cement and half a load of sand, at Smoko time Percy came along and I went Crowning with him until lunch time when he brought me back to the crossing, Ted, John, George and I were working on the crossing and we just finished in nice time before going home.

John, Jim and George went fishing this evening, John was the only one that caught any thing worth while, he got a nice Yellow-belly about three pounds.

Old Ted went crook at Jim- Ted and John have got a tomato bush out near the square tank, and every time a tomato starts to ripen Jim picks it and puts it in his safe.

Tue. 24/3/1959

This morning Percy, Jim, John and I went Marking for old Harry, This afternoon we were cutting lines in compartments twenty one and twenty two.

I saw a very pretty snake this morning, it was green and yellow, and Percy said; it was a Whip snake and not poisonous.

I must write a letter to Mother soon, I have not written for a long time, she will be wondering what has happened to me.

Wed. 25/3/1959

In the morning I was on the Finch Creek Crossing on the East West Break cementing it with George, Ted and John. In the afternoon I went Marking with Jim. We had a bit of a shower coming home, and another fairly heavy one just after we got home, there must have been about twenty points altogether.

I went over to Bakers this evening and put the other fuse in.

Young Bill got home in there utility when I was fixing the fuse, and was going to catch a horse and go and meet Frank, so I said; if he caught me one I would go with him.

We met Frank half a mile from the paddock in which he was going to put the sheep, and by the time we got there it was well after dark. It is two years since I have been on a horse, and I really enjoyed the ride, the horse I was riding was a very good horse to ride and only started once when I lit a cigarette coming home, the flare of the match frightened him, they call him Dunlop, the kids reckon he has gone 1200 miles with out a retread.

I rang Coral up about half past seven and asked her was she coming into town, she said; she could not, but asked me to go out there instead, I agreed, so by Monday night I should know whether I want to keep on with her or not, I am a bit mixed up at the moment. I always carry this book with me so no one here can get hold of it, but I will have to make sure that Coral does not get hold of it, because if she does it will be look out Paul.

Thurs. 26/3/1959

I went with Percy crowning Sleepers in the morning and in the afternoon I started to rig up a switch to cut the Party line off the telephone so Percy can get a direct line Dalby without anybody listening in, After I knocked off I started off for Dalby, Cyril left ten minutes before me but I caught him up about seven miles from camp, we did not have rain at camp so both Cyril and I went the Yeranga way- which turned out to be a mistake because there must have been an inch of rain or more, and it is a black soil road, if it had been any worse I would not have made it, as it was at one time the speedo said thirty miles an hour, and in reality I was doing about ten, it was alright when we hit the bitumen, but before we got to Dalby we had to go over a very bad stretch of about nine miles, and it was rough! I had to keep in the middle of the road and also keep a fair speed otherwise I would not have got along, but somehow the Prefect managed to stay together until we hit the bitumen again, I nearly went off the road a couple of times because of the mud on the windscreen.

When we got to Dalby I had a couple of drinks with Cyril and then he headed for Kingaroy, and I went around to Mrs. Fletcher's place to see if they would know how the road out to Cooranga North would be, when I got around there they said; they did not think it would be any good, so I decided to stop in Dalby for the night, and see what it was like in the morning. So I went around to Scully's to see whether I could stop the night, Mrs. Scully was not there but Barbara was, she said; her mother had gone to Sydney for a week or so, But she said; it would be alright if I stopped there. I thought I would go to the Pictures; it was nearly interval when I got there. When interval came I met old Harry's wife and I made the mistake of going and sitting with them, she was on one side and Harry was on the other, and were both blaring about different things, and I was trying to watch the picture (Never again!)

After the Pictures I met Lorry and Val, and Warren and another girl, not a bad kid, she is fairly young about sixteen I'd say, she will be alright when she grows up a bit, but she is a bit silly at the moment. We all had a cup of tea at the Arcader, and then took this girl that was with Lorry and Co. home, but on the way I got a puncture, and with all the mucking around that went on it must of taken us an hour to fix it, I then took Val Home, and then Harry, Warren and Myself went on around to Scully's.

It must have been very close to One o'clock by the time I got to bed.

Tue. 31/3/1959

I went out to Cooranga North on Friday. I had a good time Friday and Saturday. Both Margaret and John Russell are very nice people; I had a lot of fun with Coral too. On Saturday John and Margaret went to the Pictures and Coral and I stayed home with the kids.

After the kids were asleep we got into some very heavy petting but before it came to a conclusion John and Margaret arrived home.

All day Sunday Coral was as cranky as Christ with me, and every time I laid a hand on her she would snap at me.

We went back to Dalby on Monday we got in about eleven o'clock she wasn't actually cranky with me but I could tell she was getting a bit tired of me already, so when she went to a girls meeting (or so she said), when I had especially stopped in so we could go to the Pictures, I waited for her to come home, and then told her I would not be in to see her any more, as I expected it did not break her heart.

I am glad and sorry all at once. I am glad to have got out of it so easy, because if she had really cared although I did not have any feeling as far as love is concerned I would have stuck to her, but I know she doesn't and I won't be the bunny any more, When we went down to- the carnival on the Monday I took her down but the only time she came near me was when she wanted some money.

So that's another one finished, but once a sucker always a sucker, I'll never learn.

I got back to camp about twelve thirty last night.

This morning I was out with the gang cutting clearings for drains, this afternoon I was mucking around camp.

Percy came up about nine o'clock tonight, he said; that he wanted me to take the Austin truck and shift George's gear over to Yuleba, were he is being transferred for a while.

Yulebar is about two hundred miles from here and I will be gone about two days.

Wed. 1/4/1995

I am writing this at Yuleba, the barracks are the same as Marmadua, I have not seen any more of the place yet as it was well and truly dark by the time I got here.

I got away from Marmadua about nine o'clock and caught up with Rex (who is driving the Bedford truck) in Tara about ten thirty.

George is driving his Holden, and he caught up with us in Tara too.

Rex and I checked our tyres and then left for Chinchilla. About half way, we had to stop and shift the tractor back, which was threatening to come into the cabin with Rex; George caught us there and went ahead to Chinchilla.

We had lunch at Chinchilla and then went through miles, and then on to Yuleba. Rex took the lead all the way, which meant I was eating his dust all the way. The road from Miles to Yuleba was terribly rough, and we could not do more than about twenty miles per. hour.

When we got to Yuleba we could not see George anywhere so Rex Bought his stores, and then we started for the Forestry which is about four and a half miles from Yuleba, we had just started out when we met George coming in again, he was in a bit of a temper, they had promised him a house and when he got there they told him that he had to stay in a tent rig. He wanted to go back to Tara, he reckoned he wasn't going into the tent rig, I soon talked him out of that, I did not want to go all the way back again (It is one hundred and sixty miles). I talked him into ringing Dalby, which he did, he ended up in agreeing to go into the rig and we headed out.

George and I got there about seven thirty; Rex had kept going the first time so he was already there. There seems to be a good mob of blokes here though I cant remember there names.

I have to go back tomorrow, and on Friday I think I will have to go to Dunmore.

Thurs. 2/4/1959

It rained all last night at Yuleba, I think there must have been two to three inches, I did not think it would be any good coming back the way we came, so I decided to come back through Condamine, it is about twenty miles shorter too, we were going to go out that way, but Dalby sent us through Chinchilla, they said; the road from the Condamine highway to Yulebar Forestry was washed out, but the ranger said; he thought it would be the best way.

I left about eight o'clock the road was good for about ten miles although very slippery, but then I came onto some terrific wash-outs and one slip would have meant I would-have stopped there, but I got through somehow, the fun really started when I hit the highway, there must have been at least three inches of rain there, and the road had about four inches of slush, and it was the same all the way to were the bitumen started 16 miles from Condamine, a distance of about fifty mile. The truck was covered in red mud by the time I hit the bitumen, and I could not see properly out of the windscreen. It was past eleven when I pulled into Condamine, so I had a couple of beers and some dinner and then headed for Tara.

I got to Tara about two o'clock, I pulled in and jumped down, and I spotted Percy's Customline right next to me, I saw Percy in the Cafe, so I went over to see him, I asked him would it be alright if I did my shopping before I went out to camp, that it would save me coming in on the Saturday. He said; "O! go ahead", that he hadn't seen me yet, so I paid a few bills and one thing and another, and had a couple of drinks with Percy and then headed for camp, I got back to camp at half past three, which left me just enough time to check the truck over and wash it. Jim gave me a hand and I couldn't understand why, until I realized that Percy properly had not told him that I was taking the hoe over tomorrow, and he properly thought he was.

I think that when I eventually get to Sydney I will try and get a transport drivers job, I think I would like it, and one would be still able to see the country, and I would be back with Mother and Frank.

Sat. 4/4/1959

I took the hoe over to Dunmore; I went up through War War till I came to the Rabbit Fence, and then followed it right to the Dunmore camp, it was a very slow trip over as they had been clearing along the Rabbit fence.

I got there about half past twelve, and got away again about half past two. They have a six man barracks, there are all young blokes there, it wouldn't be a bad reserve to work on.

I got back to Marmadue about four and just had time to grease the truck and put some petrol in it before knock off time, in the evening John, Jim and myself went into the Pictures, it was a good show, the main picture was called; "Don't Go Near The Water", and was a comedy about Navy public relation departments.

I was only one in camp this morning, all the other blokes went into Tara in the ration truck, I had nothing to go in for as I did all my business when I was in on Thursday, so I stopped home and did my washing, I washed every thing I have got, which left me nothing to wear except a pair of swimming trunks, so I was running around in them.

This afternoon the Cutter from Western Timbers came up with his Buzz-saw, {* A buzz-saw consisted of a circular saw on a arm driven by vee-belts to a motor, with the whole thing mounted on a pair of wheels usually push bike wheels, and was used for felling and also for gutting the logs to length}, it wasn't going right and he wanted to know could I fix it, I loaned him the points out of my old motorbike and tuned the carby, and it was going pretty good when I had finished.

After he left I changed the oil in the Prefect and gave it a grease and check over. I had noticed the brakes were pretty weak, and when I looked under it I found that the back brake rods had fallen off, which meant the front brakes were the only ones working.

I will have to get over to Franks tomorrow and try and finish the wiring, I hope he mentions something about money, if I get enough I might go in and see the Dalby show which is on next weekend.

Sun. 5/4/1959

I finished the wiring over at Franks today, all-told there is nineteen lights and two points all together, which was no small job. I said to Frank; "how much do you think the job is worth". He said; "I don't know would a tenner be enough". "I was thinking twenty Quid would be more like it"; I said. He agreed on twenty and so he should have, it would have cost anywhere up to a hundred Quid to get an electrician to do it, and I did just as good a job of it as an electrician would have.

Frank gave me the cheque for the twenty Quid before I came back this evening, I will put it straight on my teeth it will just about pay them off.

I tuned a little motor for Frank, he wants to use it to drive a pump, I only let it run for about a minute as it had no water but it seemed to go quite well.

If only the insurance comes across with some money for my finger now, I will be able to pay off the rest at Modern Motors and I will be right again, and then I can concentrate on paying my Bomb off.

The Jim over at Frank's got back from Sydney Yesterday, he bought his wife and two lads back with him. His wife's name is Pauline, a dark headed women of about twenty nine or thirty, a pretty quiet sort of person, but very nice. The boys would be about three and five, they are both alright but the younger one is a bit noisy there is six boys over there now, ranging from three to fifteen, so you can imagination the squabbling and fighting that takes place at times.

Mon. 6/4/1959

Percy, Ted, John and I went out this morning and loaded the truck with soil for Percy's garden, I dropped Ted and John at the Ringing {* Ring-barking}, and Percy and I came back to camp with the soil, I was driving. When I went to tip the soil out, The hoist slipped and came crashing down with a terrific crash, in fact it came so hard that it Jarred the fan cowling out, and the fan was hitting it.

I said to Percy; "That every time I fix the hoist, the other blokes bugger it up again". He said; "O! well you had better go and fix it again, you will be the only one bloke driving it from now on". So it looks like I am the driver again, I spent to ten o'clock on the truck, after Smoko started again on the cut-out for the party line, I rigged up a little light which comes on when the party line is cut off, the light works on two torch batteries, the idea of the light is so that Percy won't forged to switch the party line back on, when he is finished talking to Dalby. I finished it and it worked well. {* Percy originally complained to me that the other properties that were connected to the telephone line were listening in to his conversations to the head office in Dalby, and his conversations would include things such as report on property owners who had illegally burnt off etc. and so as the Forestry was the first one on the line, I came up with a scheme to divert the line through a switch to cut the rest of the line off.}

At about half past three I went out and picked up Jack Who was grading up through the Iron Gate over the high way, and then picked up Ted and John up, and then came in.

Just as we were knocking off the new bloke arrived, he is going to take Jims place, who is being transferred to St.George some time this week. I don't know what he will be like; he does not seem too bad. He is called Jim too. I home he is better than the Jim that is here now. He drives a new Holden.

Tue. 7/4/1959

Ted, John and I went Ring-barking today, there was not much pine so we went through clearing ten feet round each pine. I was talking to the new Jim and he said that he was paying thirty one pound a month on the Holden, so it looks like I will defiantly have to wait till I get down to Quakers Hill before thinking about getting one.

I washed the Prefect this evening so it will look nice and clean when I go to the Dalby Show.

There is a lot of Ticks out there were we are Ring-barking, they are tiny little ones, you can hardly see them, I think they must come off the Wallaby's. Ted got most of them for some reason, I think it might be that he wears long strides, I got seven or eight on me but only one had dug in.

Wed. 8/4/1959

Ring-barking again to day. I don't feel so tired today as I did yesterday, in fact I feel pretty good. I was Ring-barking until three o'clock, and then I went to pick up Jack who is still grading through the Iron Gate, and then I had to pick the two Jims up who were crowning for Wormy (Jack Lanigan, manger of the sawmill).

I have an idea that the new Jim may try and throw his wait around later, but that remains to be seen; so far he is alright.

Thurs. 9/4/1959

We were Ring-barking again it was mainly Wattle and Yarra and pretty heavy going, there was a lot of dead Wattle and they kept scratching me, I did not have my shirt on because there were too many Ticks.

The new Jim came out with us today, he thinks we are leaving to many Pines, but so far he has not tried to change what we are doing. Jim came back about three o'clock, he had taken the truck with him Marking, and then we went up to get a load of soil for Percy's garden. Jim drove home too. When we got home he told me to take the load over to Percy's place and he would open the gate. I said; "I will open the gate and you can take it over". He said; "What is the gate too narrow for you". "Yes"; I said; "I can't get it through", (I have taken the two previous Loads in there, but I was shitty because of him driving the truck). He had to have two goes to get in much to my pleasure, He nearly let the hoist slip too, he then took it over and left it in front of the shed, There was still half an hour to go, so we ground our axes till knock off time, I did not put the truck away but instead left it out side the shed.

The new Jim noticed the truck was not put away just before dark. "Did you forget to put the truck away"; he said. "That's the sort brains we have got to cope with here"; This retort came from the old Jim, it was just what I was waiting for; "I didn't forget"; I said; "I have always-understood that it is the bloke that is driving the truck that puts it away, so why have I got to put it away more than anybody else".

Ever since Jim first came the truck has been the bone of contention between us, but he is being transferred to St.George tomorrow, and I don't think anybody is real sorry to see him go. The new Jim is taking over from him, and I think he might try and bung it on a bit but I don't think he will be as bad as the old Jim.

I think I will head for Dalby tomorrow as soon as I knock off work and go to the Pictures, or something Friday night. It will be the main day of the show Saturday, I am quite looking forward to it.

Sat. 11/4/1959

I am writing this at Scully's place, and the time is eleven forty five pm., so I will make this entry as short as possible.

On Friday I was working around camp doing mostly soldering, at about six o'clock I left for Dalby, I took Johnny and his Vesper scooter in too, when we got in I had a couple of beers with John, and then left him and came around to Mrs. Scully's to see weather I could get a bed, she said it would be alright so I then went up town and had a feed, I was feeling really down hearted for some unknown reason, it was to late to go to the Pictures and I did not feel like going to the dance, so I came back here and was talking to Mrs. Scully until eleven o'clock. She told me that Billy is in the Lock-up in Toowoomba, he and Billy Lee broke into a motorbike shop in Toowoomba and stole stuff to the tune of thirty pounds, they went through four doors to get in, Billy Scully will probably get six months, but Billy Lee will get more. I think as he is up on several charges including forging cheques.

The Cops caught Billy Lee and he rated on Billy Scully. Billy Lee had all the stolen stuff on his motorbike.

Brian Scully has chucked his job on the railway and gone up north.

I thought he might be settling down but it looks like I was wrong.

Barbara was away too, she went down to Brisbane with her Brian on his motorbike, I think she might be using him, I'm not saying that she does not like him a lot, but still she is not frightened to use him a bit too.

Mon. 13/4/1959

I paid off all except a couple of Quid off my teeth on Saturday morning. I have made friends with the garage John and he helped me get my stores, I don't like stopping enemies with anybody and besides it was Corals fault. I forgot to put the money in for my car until it was to late to do so, I have still got it and I will have to get the bank to send a double lot down next month.

After dinner; which I had down at Scully's. John and I went to the show as soon as we had eaten, we went up to the ticket office to get our tickets, it had up five Bob adults and one Bob for kids, so just for a joke I said two kids please, well the bloke in the ticket office looked us up and down with a very surprised look on his face and said; "Your bunging it on a bit aren't you", and then much to my surprise handed over two- one shilling tickets. The bloke the gates eyes nearly popped out of his head, when we- waltzed through and handed him the kid’s tickets, but we were gone before he recovered from the shock.

The first thing we tried out was the Octopus, and we brought a couple of tickets and went on, a bloke I know, Morry, was in attendance and he was talking to us and forgot to take our tickets, so we used them next time, so we got two rides for the price of one. We met Johnny Scaber after that and we all went over to the boxing tent. Fogety from Dalby was wrestling one of the show wrestlers. Fogety was all over the other bloke like a rash, he ended up winning by putting that hold on, don't know what it is called, but it is the one where the Referee has to untangle them from. Johnny Scabar will get him self into strife before he is finished, when we were in the boxing tent he was hurling abuse at the Referee and Boxers, until the Referee sent two Boxers over where we were and told them to watch Johnny. I got separated from the two Johns and didn't see them for the rest of the day.

I got caught lovely- I went over to the Shooting-gallery and had a go there, it was two bob for four shots, I missed on the first shot and got the other three shots, so I got another four and hit the ducks with all four, I got a box of chocolates, there was a girl standing next to me, and she was just missing one shot out of four every time, so I turned around and said to her, I'll have a go and if I win I will give you the box of chocolates, so I got another four shots and scored four hits, so I give her the box of chocolates, and I said come on, Ill take you for a ride on the Octopus, she said alright so we had a ride and then went back to the Shooting-gallery, she had a go and did not do any good, so I had a go, I was just about to start shooting and she said, excuse me for a minute I see somebody I know, so off she goes, I got four hits and got another box of chocolates and turned around and the girl had disappeared, I'd been had! Any way that didn't worry me over much, so I wanders around for about for about an hour, I still had two boxes of Chocolates and getting sick and tired of carrying them around, so when I met Norm and his girlfriend Rita, and another two girls and another a young bloke called Willy, I promptly got rid of them by giving them to the two nearest girls. Norm introduced me around, one girl was called Anne, and she was with Willy, the other one Pat, a real short little piece, about five foot nothing, wasn't with anybody, so I sort of automatically went with Pat. I asked Norm was Carol in town, and was very relieved when he said she was not.

I haven't had so much fun for a long time as I had with that mob, we laughed at every thing and were skylarking the whole time.

Later we left, Willy and Anne went off in Willy's car, and Norm, Rita, Pat and I all piled into the Prefect and went to the Pictures. After the Pictures we made arrangements to meet the girls up town at half past one on Sunday, I went back to Scully's then and wrote a bit, and then went to sleep.

On Sunday I went around to Norms Place about Half past nine, at about half past ten, we went up town to see if we could find some were to get the bracket on the radiator welded. We must have spent an hour and a half looking for some one to do it, we at length found someone to do it and by the time we got finished it was half past one, and we were supposed to meet the girls. At half past one we went back to Norms place and had some dinner, we were back up-town at two, we picked up Rita and Pat and went on out to Broadwater.

It was a bit cold for swimming, so we sat in the Prefect and watched the speedboats. On the way back to Dalby we stopped off at Loudens Bridge for a while. Pat caught Norm lovely, she said to him; "I bet I can make you an Indian". Norm said; "How!".

I had tea around at Norm's place, Norm and I had got twelve bobs worth of fish before, and after we had finished tea I happened to say; "We should have spent an extra five bob and got duck". Norm said; "We ought to take up a collection". So he grabs an old hat and went around getting two and six off everybody. We got the nineteen bob and went up town and bought the duck, and brought the duck back. I suppose it only lasted about five minutes.

I saw John Scaber up town when we got the duck, and he said he had sold his scooter and wanted to know what time I was going out. I said I would pick him up at half past ten at the Shell Service Station, which I did, and we got out to camp about twelve midnight.

Today every body was working up where Jack is Grading. In the morning we measured some logs. After dinner I gave Jack a hand to put the hood on his grader and then we started on a line.

I have got the flue coming on, it first hit me about lunch time, and by the time it was time to go home I was feeling so crook that I had to ask Percy to drive home, I did not feel like any tea, so after I had my shower I went straight to bed.

Wed. 15/4/1959

I did not go to work yesterday or today. Yesterday when I woke up I had a terrific head ache and was stiff all over, Percy came up later and stuck a thermometer in my mouth, he said that my temperature was high, but I forgot to ask how high, I stopped in bed all yesterday, the only thing I had to eat was a plate of soup which John brought in last night, I did not even finish that. The fever part broke last night, sweat was running off me everywhere, if I had got under the shower I could hardly have been wetter.

I woke up this morning still feeling very sorry for myself, but convinced that I might still see a few years yet. I still have no appetite but I managed to eat a bit, Ill have to try and get to work tomorrow.

I got a letter from the Insurance and they said to fill in the form inclosed and they would send me a cheque for one hundred and seventy pound. This is a lot more than I thought I would get, I thought I would get seventy at the most. It now means I will be able to pay my car off, and Modern Motors, and even get a couple of new tyres for the Prefect, when I have cleared up those things I will stop here for a couple of months, to get enough money to last me for a month or so, and then go down to Quakers Hill.

Percy came up a little while ago to see how I was, I asked him what my Temperature was yesterday morning when he took it, He said, one hundred and three, so it was little wonder that I wasn't feeling the best, he also said I could have tomorrow off if I wanted. I will try and get down if I can manage it, I will never get better moping around camp.

Thurs. 16/4/1959

I still did not feel to good this morning so I took another day off, I still have no appetite but I managed to-eat a bit, I also had my first smoke since Monday, John came home about eleven, he said he was feeling to crook to keep working, so Percy bought him home he went straight to bed, Percy came up later and took his temperature it was just over one hundred. I am still not feeling to good, my Back is still stiff and I have a bit of a sore throat, I would not be surprised if this goes through the whole camp.

Fri. 17/4/1959

I went back to work today, all I did though was take Jack out to where he is grading, I washed the truck and changed the oil and greased it etc. and that was just about all I was up-to too, I felt as weak as a kitten, I'll be alright now though. I started eating again tonight.

John went back to work after lunch he out of it pretty good.

I sent the form to the Insurance company this morning, so it should not be two long before they send me the cheque.

Sat. 18/4/1959

I was the only one left at camp this morning everybody else went to Tara. I am still feeling a bit poorly, so I did not bother going, I did a bit of washing this morning and a bit of reading after lunch, I went to sleep until the boys got back from town, They were all a bit tiddly.

John went into the Pictures with Young Wormy (One of the blokes from the sawmill), I just forget his name but we call him Young Wormy. As a matter of fact there is three of them working there and they are a wormy looking lot, and it just seemed natural to call them- Wormy, Young Wormy and Grandfather Wormy.

Jack is hitting the grog again this weekend but so far is keeping to himself. Not so long ago he got pretty full and burned his wireless, light and sprayer, as well as a lot of wireless stuff he had. When he was over at Breamar Forestry he went mad one weekend and chopped down a tent rig, and goodness know what would have happened if Dave hadn't knocked him out, of coarse this happened a few years ago. He is a very good bloke during the week, but gets very surly at times when he is on the grog, It's nothing for him to clean up a couple of bottles of rum and half a dozen beer of a week end, but he has never been known to miss work through the grog yet, and has been on the Forestry this time for about five years.

Sun. 19/4/1959

I had a very easy day today just eating sleeping and reading. I did start to sew some of the stitching that has broken in the seat in the Prefect, but broke the needle so I went back to bed. I am feeling pretty good again, just a sore throat to annoy me.

Thurs. 23/4/1959

I had a relapse of my flue Monday, I was out with Jim looking for plots off timber, by the end of the day I was feeling more dead than alive.

When I got home I could not eat any tea and went straight to bed, I must have a fever because it was a pretty cold night but sweat was running off me every were.

Tuesday I had a pretty easy day at camp painting the gates and such. I thought I was coming good, I was even starting to eat again, but still didn't have any taste for a smoke.

On Wednesday we went out getting wood we spent the morning on that, and I wasn't feeling to good, but I managed to-keep going. I could not eat any lunch and went to sleep instead. When we went back to work- ringbarking, I was completely buggered. We had noticed at lunch time that the muffler on the truck was nearly off, so when about three o'clock came along, and I felt terrible crook, I said I was going to fix it and went back, it took me five minutes to fix it, but I went to sleep under the truck until the other blokes came back, but that night I had a fairly good tea, and today I have been pretty good, we were ringbarking and I had no trouble keeping going, though all the same I was glad when knock off time came around, if I still feel alright by tomorrow night I will go to Dalby, but it all depends on how I feel.

Fri. 24/4/1959

(Lunchtime) We were Ring-barking all this morning and I feel pretty fit, I have still got a cough but I think that will soon go, so I will be off to Dalby as soon as I knock off work.

Tue. 28/4/1959

I went into Dalby Friday night, when I got in I went around to Norms place, and then went up town to see if there would be any service stations open on Saturday (Saturday was Anzac day) as I wanted to get two new tyres put on. The back Ampol service station said they would be open. We met Morry, I have known Morry Just about as long as I have known Barbara, and we went around to his place and played records on the Hi-Fie. he asked me would I take his ten foot sailing boat out to Broadwater, so I agreed, I told him I would be around about twelve on Saturday.

On Saturday I got the two new Tyres put on which cost sixteen and a half Quid, and got stores.

Norm landed a job with some road contractors, but didn't have any money to buy stores, so I lent him a Fiver.

At twelve we went around and loaded the boat on to the Tilly and went out to Broadwater, we saw Willy earlier and arranged for him to bring the girls out about three o'clock.

When we got out there we rigged the boat up and Norm, Morry and I went out for a sail which, was a very slow process seeing there was hardly any wind.

Just after we got back in Willy arrived with the girls Pat, Anne, and another girl called Carmilla, she has a bit of dark blood in her, But she is a pretty good looker and does she know it, she is as high and mighty as they come, but I quite like her. Norm's girl friend Rita couldn't come. We had a lot of fun and I took Pat out in the boat, we all got wet bottoms out of it.

Morry had a bit of a yike with one of the blokes in the speed boat that went to close to us, but ended up in making friends with them. And when he went to take the boat over to the shed he had arranged to leave it in, the same blokes offered to tow him across seeing there was know wind, Norm went with Morry.

On the way over the boat capsized, Morry reckons that it got half full of water and this caused it to turn over.

Norm can't swim and reckons he was nearly drowned. They eventually got it in however.

We made arrangements with Morry to go around to his place about half past seven and have a bit of a party; the girls were very enthusiastic so he agreed.

Willy picked Norm and I up about half past seven, he had already picked up the girls all except Rita, and we went- around to Morry's place, we all had a wale of a time Jiving to the hi-fi and listening to records, the only thing we had to drink were soft drinks. At about twelve o'clock the only persons that were still awake were Norm and Morry, the rest of us Pat, Me, Willy and Anne, and another Girl- Morry's girlfriend were all asleep curled up on Morry's Bed, Even Carmilla was asleep but she went to sleep sitting on the floor, so Norm woke us all up and we all went home.

We dropped Morry and his girlfriend off first, and then Carmilla and then Norm, Willy, Anne, Pat and Myself went for a bit of a drive up past the silos, and parked there for about an hour, I had a great time with Pat it is the first time I have Kissed Pat, and O boy! I did not know what hit me she can really kiss. I think that is as far as I can go with her though, she seems a very nice girl. Willy and Anne were smooching in the back seat. It was about one o'clock when I got around to Norms place again; I was sleeping there as nobody was home when I went around to Scully's.

I'll have to watch myself with Pat She is a girl I could Quite easily go for, and I can't get serous with anybody now I have decided to go back to Quakers Hill.

On Sunday we did not do anything in the morning, but at half past one Willy came around and picked us up, and we went out to Broadwater again. Rita was with us this time much to Norm’s pleasure. Norm seems to like her a lot and is thinking of getting engaged to her, and I don't blame him ether, she is an extra nice girl. The other girls were there too, Pat, Carmilla and Anne. Willy had his fathers fifty four Humber snipe, and could it go, we cruised along at seventy five and you could not hear the motor. we did not do much at Broadwater but we had quite a good time.

I don't think Pat knows that I will be going away I will have to tell her next weekend, if she was a bit older I would try and get her to come down with me, but she is only seventeen, so that is out of the question.

We got back to Dalby fairly early and I went around to Norms place. I had intended to come back to camp Sunday night but I felt pretty crook, I had hardly eaten anything over the weekend and when I did force myself to eat it just made me feel sick, Mrs. Fletcher suggested that I stop the night and see how I felt in the morning, so I did. I got up about half past four Monday morning, again intending to go out to work, but I could not eat any breakfast and I still felt pretty crook in the guts, so I decided to take the day off and go and see the Quack.

One thing I forgot to mention before- on Sunday evening Coral came in with her boy friend, She completely ignored me, I don't know why, I have never tried to put anything over her and we were quite good friends when we parted. She will be in next weekend, and I will try and find just why she has the shits with me.

Anyway I went up town and made an appointment with Dr. Mantel for two o'clock. I weighed myself at the post office and wasn't very surprised to find I had lost seven pounds over the last two weeks.

I went back at two o'clock and the doctor said that it was after affects of the flue.

He gave me a prescription to make me eat, and a doctor’s certificate for a couple of days off. I got back to camp Just after dark.

The medicine I got is the most vile tasting stuff I have ever tasted, but it works well, I think why it makes you-eat so good, that One has got to- get the taste of it out of your mouth.

When I went down to work this morning, Percy only asked me what happened to me, and he did not say anything when I gave him the doctor’s certificate, I said I did not need the other two-day off as I was eating again.

I took the boys out to where we were ringbarking and left them there to start a few lines, and then took Jack out, after I dropped jack off I came back and picked Ted and John up, and we went and got a load of rock and took it out to the Finch Creek crossing in Durabilla, where the timber trucks had got bogged. When we got out there we found that it was not in the crossing that they had got bogged, but they had run right off the crossing into loose sand, however we put half the load in the crossing and half where they got bogged. It was lunchtime when we got back to No. Ten. After lunch we cut a line, and did about an hour of ring barking.

I got a letter from Mother and Ruth, Mother is very pleased that I am coming down, and there is no way in the world that I will be disappointing her.

I got a bill from the Doctor in Blacktown for a couple of Quid; I will have to send it down.

Wed. 29/4/1959

I had a very easy day to day, I was mucking around camp until Smoko time.

Jim left for Breamar at Smoko time where he is going to take over from Dave while he is on holidays, he will be away two weeks.

After Smoko Percy and I went out and marked some Sleepers for Joe. We got back at camp at lunchtime. Jim came back while we where having lunch, he had been over to Breamar and then found out he had forgotten his blankets, so he came back to get them.

After lunch the old Sergeant from Tara came out and Percy went off with him to serve a summons on old Harry, I don't know what it would be for, Percy only left me about an hour and a half’s work to do so I had a pretty easy day.

Thurs. 30/4/1954

Well another month gone and about six weeks until I reckon I will be going down to Quakers Hill.

Up until Smoko time I gave Percy a hand with the bird aviary he is building. After Smoko we went out in his tilly looking for Pine in twenty three, we found a good stand just before lunch, and marked two hundred and thirty trees before we knocked off. We had a bit of fun in a plot, (The plots are ten chain by one chain and are placed at even interval through out the forestry, so that an estimate of the timber can be established). Anyway this particular plot- One of the pegs happened to be in the bottom of a Durabilla creek, and we had a bit of trouble of finding out which trees were in the plot, and which trees were out, but we finally managed it (I think).

I mentioned to Percy that I was thinking of going to Quakers Hill, he agreed with me that there was not much here, but said wait till after summer. I did not say anything to that, but I will be defiantly be going down in the middle of June.

I did my washing tonight as I want to go to Dalby tomorrow night seeing it is a long weekend, I will have to stay at- home the week end after that as I have a lot of things to do.

Fri. 1/5/1959

Every body except Jack was working around camp today. I took Jack out to his grader and then spent the rest of the morning on the truck, I washed it and then pulled the front wheels off the truck, and washed and greased the wheel bearings. Ted and John were cutting up wood with the buzz saw.

After dinner I greased the truck and mucked around on it a bit, and then helped Percy on his birdcage for a while until knock off time.

I got the cheque from the Insurance, so instead of going to Dalby tonight as I intended to, I will go to Tara tomorrow and fix up all my bills, and send the money away for the Prefect. While I am in Tara I might go and see Shorty and see if he has any good car wirelesses for sale, I know I should not get one as the money would come in very useful for going to Sydney, but I really need something to keep me awake when I am driving.

Tue. 5/5/1959

I went to Tara on Saturday and paid most of my bills, I have not sent the money away for the Prefect yet, as the bloke in the bank reckons to write down first and find out how much they will settle for.

I went around to Shorty to see if he had a seconded hand wireless for sale, he said he did not, but the manager of the Home Groceries had one for sale. So I went around and saw him, he wanted twenty Quid for it, but when I found it did not have an aerial I got him down to seventeen.

After I got the wireless I went back around to Shorty's to see whether he would put it in for me, he said he would but not until two o'clock, and it would take a couple of hours to do it, so I went to the Pictures While I was waiting. "The Shiralee", was on and it was a very good show.

I left before it was quite over and went to Dalby, I went through Kogan, I think it must be about Sixty miles that way. When I got in I went around to Scully's to see if I could stop there, she said it would be alright.

I got changed and then went to the Pictures, they had; "Frances Goes To West Point", and I have seen it before, but I enjoyed seeing it again, at interval I saw Pat, Camilla and Willy, so I did not bother to go back again, we went into the new cafe for a drink, I was very surprised to see Barbara there, she had left Black Jacks and is working there now, She seemed very pleased to see me.

After we left the cafe we just walked around Dalby for a while and then talked in Willy's car for a while, I left them about twelve o'clock and went and had a cup of coffee at the place that Barbara works, I got back to Scully's at about one o'clock.

On Sunday I went around to Norms place about half past nine and dragged him out of bed, we just cruised around town in the morning listening to the wireless. In the afternoon we met Pat and Rita and we went for a bit of a spin, Pat is learning to drive so I gave her a go, she wasn't too bad, although I had grab the steering wheel a couple of times to stop us collecting a guide post, but the steering is very bad compared to most other cars, so I could not hold that against her. When we got back to town and the girls headed home, I went to switch the wireless- on and it would not go. About this time Willy came up in his Chev and he gave me a hand to pull it out, there was a wire shorting, the one that goes up to the light in the control box, and the aerial wire was broken, Shorty had left all the wires hanging all over the place and Rita must have got her foot in them and pulled them loose,( She was sitting on Norms lap) we got it in just before dark and it worked well again.

About nine o'clock we were sitting in the Arcade cafe talking to Marilyn, a girl we had just met that same evening, when in walks Coral, I said good day to her and she did not answer, but soon after when I was talking to her boyfriend- Merv (and Christ knows what she sees in him because I don't), she started talking to me just as she had never been shitty with me at all, Norm was nearly asleep so I ran him home, and when I was coming through town I saw Coral's mob still outside the cafe so I pulled up and was talking with them, there was another bloke with them (I don't like him much ether) he comes from e, Coral and Merv had been down, and this other bloke had come up in his car (a forty eight Chev) with them. Mervin produced a whistle that goes on the tail pipe and this bloke wants to try it out, so they all get in his car, he asked me did I want to come, so I did, seeing I had nothing else to do, they went out along the Condamine highway a bit before putting it on, it makes a hell of a racket, they took it off after a while and went for a mad dash around the roads around Dalby. That bloke is going to kill himself and every body that's with him one of these days, for one instance, he saw a poor little cat on the side of the road not doing any body any harm, and what does this mug-liar have to do, but swerve off the road doing about sixty and try and run over the poor animal, and another time we were going along the hospital road and just to show every body how smart he was he switched off his lights, and drove along without them for awhile, when he switched them on again we were right down in the gutter, I was glad when we got back to the cafe where I had the Prefect parked. After we had a drink at the cafe, I went around to Scully's, I got in about twelve o'clock.

Monday was Labour Day and I did not get up until about nine, I got some breakfast for myself and then ironed a few shirts before going around to Norms place. We went up town and just mucked around till lunch time, after lunch I saw a couple of girls I new, Fay and Julie so I picked them up and went for a drive out along the Condamine Highway, Julie (She is scotch) asked me for a drive I let her take the wheel, she wasn't to good on the take off but once she got going she wasn't to bad, I had to keep telling her to get back to forty though.

When we got back to Dalby I saw Willy pumping up the tires on the truck at the garage, he said he would be up town about eight o'clock.

I then took Norm around to his place and I told him I would pick him up about seven o'clock, I then went around to Scully's and had tea, I duly arrived back at Norms place and his mother said that he had gone up town and would meet me there, well I wandered around for about an hour before I finally spotted him, he was with Rita's brother, Rita, Pat Camilla and Willy, both Norm and Rita's brother were under the weather, that is why I could not find them, Rita does not like drink and she was pretty shitty with Norm. The silly bugger, he new Rita was coming up and he had to go- and do a thing like that. Anyway Rita's brother had missed the bloke that was going to take him out to work, He works on the railway at Jimbour which is about eighteen miles from Dalby, so Willy said he would run him out, we all went with him, all the girls got in the front with Willy, and I had to get in the back with Norm and Rita's brother.

By the time we started back Norm had sobered up enough to be in a depressed mood, Camilla had got in the back with me because I asked her to but she had gone to sleep, and Norm started talk to me about a smash he was in a few years ago, his mother had already mentioned it to me before, he said that if he told anybody what happened he would get fifteen years. I got the impression that he wanted to tell me, so I said don't tell me now, If you want to get it off your chest tell me when your sober, and I will keep it in the strictest confidence.

I think there was a girl killed in the smash, also I gather that they were all pretty drunk. Then he started to talk about Rita; He said he was going to tell her to go to buggery. I said to him then; "You know what I reckon you should do". What he said; "Well I reckon get Rita on her own and apologize for getting drunk when you new she was coming up town especially to see you". He started to protest, but I said; "The other day when she left you to go and talk to another bloke she was big enough to admit that she should not have, and to say she was sorry, now it is up to you to do the same thing". "Its not only that"; He said; "I heard something about her today". "You know what I do when I hear something about a girl I'm going with". "No what"; he said. "I'll tell her straight to her face what I have heard, and don't form an opinion until she has had a chance to defend herself, Rita's a good girl, you would not get better, and you want to hang on to her". He was very quiet, and when we dropped Rita off at her place he got out too, and said he would walk home from there, so I hope he took my advice, because I think otherwise they might end up, and I would hate to see that.

Went up town then and Willy, Camilla, Pat and I had a cup of coffee, I started off for camp about eleven thirty, and I don't know what I would have done if I had not had the wireless to keep me awake, I got into camp about one o'clock.

Today I was half asleep all day, but luckily I went Marking with Percy so I got through alright, this evening John went into the Pictures with Young Wormy (Mick).

Fri. 8/5/1959

Wednesday and Thursday I was ringbarking with John and Ted. It is pretty good going mainly bull oak.

Today we went ringbarking till lunchtime and then came in. We spent most of the afternoon on Percy's birdcage, putting the wire netting on; at about half past three I came up and did the camps.

I will be going to Tara tomorrow, I think I will go to the Pictures in the afternoon. I will try and stop out of Dalby for the next three weeks, as I want to save fifty Quid in the next six weeks.

Mon. 11/5/1959

I went into Tara on Saturday morning and got my stores, I also got a couple of brackets on the front of the Prefect it cost thirteen and sixpence, I will have to get two tie rod ends for it too, before I go down to Sydney, the ones- on the car are very worn. I stopped in for the Pictures, John stopped in with me, they weren't to bad.

When we got home I had tea, and then but the battery I got in Tara in my wireless, I haven't had it going since I got back from holidays.

I put in old Ted lovely with Jack though, It was done unintentionally. I have a habit of taking a cup of Milo into my room at night and a packet of biscuits and eating them in bed, I was munching away on some Wafer biscuits, and Jack Who is in the next room must have heard me, because he told Ted, and Ted told me. Anyway Saturday night Jack was under the influence and forgetting I wasn't supposed to know that Jack had been complaining about it, I said to him; "I could not get those crunchy biscuits in town". He said; "What do you mean". "You know the ones I was crunching in my room and you heard me". "Arr!" he said; "theirs been people talking, it seems everybody tells everybody everything around here, in future I tell no C--- anything". Old Ted heard and called out; that will please us all very much". For about half an hour every time I would go past Jack he would start complaining again.

On Sunday I spent most of the day sorting out old letters and burning them, I also did my washing and cleaned up my room a bit. I pulled the Speedo out of the Prefect, I could not find much wrong with it, it was Jumping about forty miles an hour, which made it very hard to tell just how fast I was going, there did not seem much wrong with it although the numbers were a bit stiff, so I pulled them all to pieces, and cleaned them and put a bit of grease on them, and put them back to together again only to find I had left a spacer out, so I had to pull them all to pieces again, but I finally got them all back together again and it seemed to work alright.

Today Percy kept me home, he said he wanted me to check the wireless, but the main reason I think was to get me to put Judy's {*his Daughter, about eleven years old} bike together, She had a bike but it was a boy's, Percy bought a old frame, and I had to transfer all the parts of the boy's frame to the Girl's frame, which I duly did. After lunch I put the Speedo in my car and then took the Batteries up to the Tower, the wireless seemed to test alright. {* We had a couple of army surplus valve transceivers of which one was installed in fire watch tower and one in the truck, and were used during the bush fire season to direct the truck to any fire outbreaks.}.

After I finished there I went out to the Log Crossing, and picked Jack up, When I got back to camp Percy said, did you remember to bring the Batteries back, It was only then that I remembered I had left them up at the Tower, the only thing I could do was to go up and get them, so I did. It was going on for six o'clock by the time I finally got to knock off.

I had just finished, when Young Wormy Brought his wireless up to see if I could find out what was wrong with it, after a lot of mucking around and about one and a half hours later, I found one of the valves crook, Ted took one out of his wireless which he is not using, and it went as good as gold again.

Tue. 11/5/1959

I went ringbarking with Ted and John today, but first I took Jack out to his grader.

I had a bit of bad luck with my axe, the edge must have been a bit blunt or something, because soon after I started, I took a swing at a small bull oak, and as a rule the axe will go straight through but this time it glanced off, I had time to turn the axe before it hit my leg, even so I gave myself a nasty whack with the back of the axe on the shin. About half a minute later I took a swipe at another fairly small Bull oak- it glanced off again and this time it came two fast for me to turn it, it hit me just under the ankle and gave me a cut about three quarters of an inch long, and right to the bone, I was very lucky though, only the front of the axe went in and that went in right in between the sinews, if the axe had cut them my foot would have been flapping around in the breeze, I went to the truck and got the first aid kit out, there is hardly anything in it, there was a little bit of sticking plaster there so I thought I would put a bit of a pad on it, and use the sticking plaster to pull it together, but the sticking plaster would not stick, so I had to put a tight bandage on it, then I went to cut the bandage, the scissors were so rusty they would not cut so I had to tear it. I will probably have scar there to remind of the Forestry. When I got back I went crook about the first aid kit, I don't know what would happen if someone cut themselves badly.

Percy is going to play Darts with the Sergeant in Tara tomorrow night, and he asked me and John to come in with him, but I don't think I will because I am trying to economies.

Wed. 13/5/1959

I went ringbarking with Ted to day, John went with Percy, I did not know how my ankle would stand up to all the walking, though I think it would have been alright, we ring barked about an acre and Liberated about seven.{* "Liberated"- where the Pine was scattered we would only clear ten foot around each Pine}. I got on very well with Ted today, John is getting as bad as an old women lately, yesterday he raved for about ten minutes because I mistook a Pine for a bull oak and cut it down, anybody would think he would have to pay a hundred Quid for the way he went on. This morning he started winging when I came out and put my frying pan on the coals, he reckoned I was putting the fire out. "Every body is finished with it"; I said, but he kept winging, I told him he was worse than an old woman and said; "I think you need a good holiday". Ted told me later, that he reckons he has not been to the shit house for three days, so that probably accounts for him being so cranky.

Fri. 15/5/1959

Yesterday John, Ted and I went ringbarking in number ten again. John wasn't so bright, he went into Tara Wednesday night with Percy, but never the less we did a fair acreage.

This morning we were all doing different jobs; I was painting the tin hut near the Moonie, with sump oil. Ted was measuring the patches of sands on the external break, while John was painting the guideposts; I spent this afternoon servicing the truck.

Last night I went into Tara with Grandfather Wormy, he is the worst driver I have ever seen, he smashed up a old car he had, and this one he has got now he has smashed once when he hit a Bullock, and pushed his grill in a couple of-week ago when he hit a Customline, But I reckon the chances were that he would get to Tara alright, so I went in.

I went to see Lebanon to see if he had finished my strides, but he had not quite finished. So I will get Ted to pick them up tomorrow for me, I will be staying in camp this weekend, I am still spending to much money if I want to go down the middle of next month. I think John is staying in camp too tomorrow.

Sat. 16/5/1959

I spent most of the day hunting down rattles in the Prefect, I got most of the rattles out of the doors, but all the screws have gone out one side were it goes on to the floor of the Tilly. I had better fix it fast, or the whole car will fall to pieces. I will also have to get tie-rod ends they are badly worn. I have given the Prefect a terrible hiding on these roads, it is a wonder it is still holding together at all, I will have to cash it in as soon as I can.

John stayed at home today, the other blokes got home about half past four, they were all under the weather pretty well, Percy was about the worst. Ted picked up my strides from Lebanon, I asked him to make them two weeks ago, and I think I gave him four Quid, but Ted says that Lebanon thinks I only gave him three, but I will have to go into Tara to get the trousers taken up a bit, otherwise they are good.

Mon. 18/5/1959

I spent the greater part of Sunday working on the car, I got all the rattles out of it, I took the tie-rod end off and it does not seem to bad, I think it will be alright. I took it out along the road and gave it a good test.

I was talking to Percy yesterday and he said he would hold my job open for awhile, I said; "don't do that". He also said if he did have an opening he would give me my job if ever I came back this way. (Which is nice to know)

Today Ted and I went ringbarking, we should cut that block out this week, I think we will be going into nineteen then, John went with Percy Marking for old Harry.

Wed. 20/5/59

Well another two days to go till the weekend, and I will go into Dalby for the last time before I go through to Sydney.

Yesterday John, Ted and I went ringbarking; it was pretty heavy too.

John and I went in to the Pictures that night, I saw Brian Scully in there, he has got a job on Tara railway, He still wants to come down with me, as far as I am concerned he can as long as he has got enough money to last him until he gets a job, although I wish it was Barbara coming with me instead of Brian, no-matter what she has done I will never forget her, but at least going down to Sydney it will not be so tough.

It was a good show at the Pictures, the pictures were (1)- "Break In The Circle". (2)-"Farther Casanova".

Today Ted and I were ringbarking again, it’s the longest straight ringbarking I have done for awhile and I don't think the exercise is doing me any harm. John seems to have my job of Marking, which is quite understandable since its not much good me going out when I am going to leave.

Jack is leaving for Breamar tomorrow, I think he will have at least twelve months grading over there, he'll have to- go a bit quieter over there, because I don't think Dave will let him get away with as much as Percy did.

Percy brought up three bottles of his home brew tonight and we all had a drink with Jack. Jack gave us a snort of Jamaica rum (seventy percent over-proof), and John brought out a couple of bottles of XXX, (I sure had an appetite for tea after all that, I would have polished off a horse.

I have to take Jacks gear over tomorrow; Jim is also coming back tomorrow.

Thurs. 21/5/1959

I took Jacks gear over to Breamar today, it rained lightly most of last night (thirty five points) and the road was just slippery enough to make it interesting.

On the way over one of Jacks suitcases fell off, but luckily Jack was coming just behind with the grader and he picked it up. I got over to Breamar about ten fifteen. All the blokes over there were taking advantage of the rain and were on their backs. Kevin is no longer there; there is another bloke there who is the truck driver.

I left about one o'clock and past Jack about half a mile from Breamar camp. It took me two hours to get back the road was pretty wet. When I got back there was another bloke here, he is in the same room as me he is Irish and his name is Barry, he would be about fifty and about five foot six and would weigh about nine and a half stone. He said this is the first time he has worked on a Forestry, although he has done a lot of bush work, he seems quite a nice bloke.

Sun. 24/5/1959

I went to Dalby for the last time before I leave Friday night. I got in about half past seven I went around to Norms place first. He said that he and Rita had called it off, the way he talked I gather he had been hitting the grog a bit, I am disappointed in Norm, I thought he was made of sterner stuff, but it seems I was mistaken. I did not stay there very long and went around to Scully's. Mrs. Scully and Barbara were at the Pictures, so I went up too, I spotted them at interval. Mrs. Scully said she would find me a bed somewhere. Barbara and I went and had a couple of beers; she said her Brian has gone to his home for a week before he goes on the cane. After the pictures I shouted them a cup of tea and sandwiches before we went home, it was raining lightly all the weekend.

I did not do much on Saturday it was still raining and the place was pretty dead. I went around to Norm's place and we went for a bit of a drive around town. He gave me two Quid of the fiver he owes me, He said that Coral got engaged to Merv, I thought she would have had more brains than that. He also said she has not been to well; she can't stop her nose bleeding.

I saw Rita in one of the shops and was talking with her for a few minutes; she said that Willy and Anne had broken up too.

I went with Mrs. Scully and Barbara and another bloke John, who has just recently been boarding at Scully's, to the Imperial and we had a few beers.

Sunday it rained pretty well all day, I did not get out much, I went up town about eleven, I saw Anne and confirmed it about her and Willy.

At about four o'clock I loaded John Scaber's Scooter that he left at Dalby. John left it at Charlie Henry's place-about a month ago, but what John did not know was that they have been riding it. He told me that I could ride it, but when I saw what it was like I didn't.

The Moonie was surprisingly good despite the rain, and I had no trouble in getting back to camp. When I told John about his bike and he saw the dents, he said he would fight Henry when he got in to Dalby. (Don't think he will though).

Mon. 25/5/1959

The rain was gone when I woke up this morning, although there was a fairly heavy fog till about ten o'clock.

We had about a inch and a quarter here, but there must have been two inches in Dalby.

I spent the day mucking around camp fixing a couple of motors etc. The rest of the blokes went out after dinner to cart a few rocks etc.

Tue. 26/5/1959

Ted, Barry and I went ringbarking to day, and although Barry has travelled the world over and worked on ships to mining, I don't think he has ever seen an axe before because on the axe he is woeful, he may improve with practice, but that remains to be seen, at the moment I can chop down four trees to his one.

I am starting to think about Barbara again, I suppose it is because her boy friend has gone away, and if I tried I could most likely get her back again, so it is probably just as well I am going soon, because if I was staying I would try, and get hurt again for sure.

Wen. 27/5/1959

Ted, Barry and I were ringbarking again today it was very heavy going all whip stick Pine. About three o'clock Percy and Jim Hogan came out; Jim is the H. and M. Ranger.

He said we were not taking enough Pine out they have to be fifteen foot apart.

This evening I had a it of a augment with old Ted, he started to through up every thing that happened to annoy him from me since he has known me, when I left my frying pan a couple of times, I think I know why he started the augment, Barry has a habit of leaving his gear scattered around the galley, and it was his way of throwing out a hint to him.

Fri. 29/5/1959

Well here it is again the end of another week, and two weeks to go before I leave, my feelings are a bit mixed about leaving, I defiantly want to be amongst my people again, and yet this is the sort of work I like.

Yesterday I spent in camp, mainly with Percy's saw bench he has been making. The governor wasn't working, and I had to turn the pulleys for the sander he wants to rig up, I also started to work on the Rex pump motor that would not go, there was no spark, I conducted some test and found the coil was defective, I found another coil and it tested alright.

Today I put the Rex motor back to together and after a few false starts it went quite good. For the rest of the day I spent soldering, I also made a guard for his saw.

A new bloke came yesterday, he is a Hollander, he can't speak English very well, I think he has only been in the country a couple of years.

John and I went into the Pictures last night, the first one wasn't much chop, but the second one was pretty good, it was called "Women Of The River".

Sat. 30/5/1959

The end of the month, time marches on.

I did my washing today, and that took most of the morning. Of course I was side tracked by John who was trying to fix the clutch on his scooter. It is a wet clutch, and after we put some oil in it, it was a bit better, before she would not disengage, it is still not good but it is a lot better.

This afternoon I sorted out a bit of gear and cleaned up the room a bit.

Barry is a funny bloke he only owns one working strides and shirt, and one good stride, and trousers he goes to bed in. His working clothes and his bed cover is filthy after just a week; I don't think he has a shower in a week.

Sun. 31/5/1959

Today I spent the greater part on the car checking the motor and changing the oil etc. The car is just about ready now, Thought I might check the front wheel bearings next weekend. I left the ignition on yesterday, and when I went to start it today the battery was flat. I took it down and put it on the charger. By a strange coincidence Percy had left his on too, so I put his on too.

Mon. 1/6/1959

I went out with Percy and Jim, to old Harry's who is in block thirty three in Durabilla, Percy and I went Marking and Jim went Crowning.

I am going to give Percy my old bike for six Quid, because if I don't it will only be left here anyway.

Percy said I could pass myself off as an axeman and coming from him that is a compliment.

I made a bet with old Barry about the age you are allowed to drink in New South Wales, he said twenty-one and everybody backed him up, I bet him a Quid it was eighteen, and although I know it is eighteen I will have to prove it, or hand over a Quid. Barry already owes me thirty Bob and a tin of meat out of his first pay.

I will be going into Tara to see if Brian Scully wants to come down with me still, he is working on the railway in there.

I wrote to mother to night to see if it will be alright to bring him down.

Wed. 3/6/1959

Ted and I finished off number ten yesterday.

Last night John and I went into Tara with Mick, I saw Brian in there and he still does not know whether he will be coming with me or not, so I did not send the letter to Mother after all.

The pictures weren't to bad, the first one was called "Adams Four Sons", and the second one was called "Tiger Of The Skies"- it was an American propaganda picture but had an interesting human-interest angle.

Fri. 5/6/1959

We were all working around camp today; I put another motor in the charger and had a bit of trouble too. I connected it all up and filled the tank with water, and it all ran out again, I had to siphon the rest of the water- out and make a gasket for it, I again filled it with water and found there was a leak in a Welsh-plug under the a-cursed thing so I tipped some radiator seal into it and hoped for the best.

This afternoon I spent most of the afternoon fixing the window in the truck, I didn't get it quite finished.

I will be going into Tara to pay all my bills tomorrow, Percy is coming with me.

I got a letter from the finance today they want eighty-one Pounds for a settlement, I'll send it away tomorrow.

Sat. 6/6/1959

I went to Tara this morning; Percy came with in with me. The poor old Prefect new he was in there, He is about six feet four inches and would weigh about fifteen stone.

I paid all my bills and got some tucker, altogether I spent over twenty Quid which was a lot more than I was counting on, but to balance it I found I will have fourteen Pounds in the bank after I have paid for the car, I sent the cheque to the finance company, I got six bottles of beer so I can have a farewell drink with the boys Friday night.

Wed. 10/6/1959

On Sunday I went into Tara with Percy and Mrs.Scanlan {* Percy's wife}, John came too; we went in to see the football. Tara was playing Miles, the "B" grade was a bit slow, Tara got the game- thirty-one to two. The "A" grade teams were better and it was quite a good game, Tara also got that game too- sixteen to five.

On Monday we were burning off along the side of the Break near block thirty-two.

On Tuesday the other blokes went out and ran some lines near Paul's Downfall, it is called that because once during a fire I let the truck run away and it crashed into a tree.

I stopped in camp and did a bit of plumbing, we did not have a pipe threader so Percy rang up Baker's and asked for a loan of there's. I went over to get it, while I was there Mrs. Baker asked me to come over for tea on Thursday, so I said I would.

John and I went into the Pictures in Tara that night. I did not see Brian in there, so I presume he will not be coming down with me. The pictures were pretty good, the first one was Dean Marten and Jerry Louis in "Living It Up", and the other one was "Tarnished Angels". Mick was in town too and I got out after the pictures before him, I saw him coming behind me about four miles from town, and I was determined not to let him catch me till we got to the gate which is six miles from camp, I had the prefect sitting on Fifty five mile per hour and could hardly hold her, the tie-rod ends are bad and I will have to get them fixed in Dalby. There is a mud hole not far from the gate, and as a rule we go around it but to gain a bit I went straight through, I got through and reached the gate and waited there for Mick, Who duly arrived about ten minutes later, he had tried to follow me through the mud hole and got bogged, I must admit I was pleased to hear this because he is always skiteing about how his car will go through more mud than the Prefect.

Today I went Marking with Percy, and this evening I started getting some of my gear together, for with a bit of luck I hope to get as far as Dalby on Saturday.

Fri. 12/6/1959

Yesterday I did a bit of plumbing etc. and about ten thirty I went out with Percy looking for some sleepers {* ironbark trees suitable to cut sleepers from.} did not find much though.

I went over to Baker's for tea last night and they said If I was ever up this way to come and stay with them for a while.

Today I did not do much; I did a bit of work on the truck and a bit of dusting for the painter. I knocked off about two and put my gear in the Prefect, when the other Blokes came up I brought out my six bottles of beer, and Percy bought up two off his home brew and we all had a few drinks, Percy asked me to come down for tea, and it was the best meal I have had for ages. After tea I had a couple of games of chess with Percy, he beat me in the first game but I beat him in the second.

I am sorry to be going, all my friends are here and I will have to make all new friends, but to be back with my family will more than compensate for it. I will be leaving tomorrow morning, I don't know whether I will be going straight Through, or whether I will staying in Dalby and going through on Sunday.

Sat. 13/6/1959

Left camp at eight forty five am. I am just coming into Dalby, Time ten fifteen am.

Left Dalby twelve forty five pm. Mileage thirty five thousand two hundred and forty five, running well. Got two tie-rod ends in at Dalby, and picked up Warren who is coming down. Stopped at Warwick four thirty pm. topped up with petrol and oil, Prefect going good. Starting to cool off now, I have put my coat back on.

We got to Stanthorpe, five fifty pm. We had tea there and pulled out at six thirty, we crossed the boarder at seven thirty pm. We stopped at Tenterfield and bought some "No Doze" tablets, I don't think i will need them though because I think I will stop at ten, and book in at a pub. The bus is still running well and the steering is good now, I might get home tomorrow night if every thing goes as well as they are now.

We got into Glen Innes at ten pm. and booked into the "Tats". I could not get any petrol but I think I will have enough to get a start in the morning.

Sun. 14/6/1959

We left Glen Innes five thirty am. But we took the wrong road, which was understandable because I could not see through the wind-screen, the frost was terrific, it wasn't to bad on the outside, but our breath got on the wind-screen and promptly froze, and One could hardly rub it off, anyway we took the wrong road, the one that joins up with the Pacific highway, and I did not wake up to it until the sun started to rise, and then I realised that we were headed East instead of South, we were fifteen miles out so I turned around and came back to Glen Innes, where I filled up with petrol and topped off with oil. The Prefect is still getting through a pint of oil to the hundred miles, but is still running well. We got into Armidale at eight fifty am. and had breakfast. It is starting to get slightly warmer now, though there is still frost on the ground; we left at nine forty five am.

Just past through Bendemeer, Warren driving, it is very hilly country, also very rocky; we past Thunder Bolts rock Just outside Uralla. We stopped at Murrurundi for dinner at two pm. and left at two thirty pm. I filled up with petrol; I had my first drink there- two rum each to warm us up.

I am just out side Newcastle, it is six thirty pm. just on the corner of the road that cuts through to the Pacific Highway, I am starting to get tired, I have been driving all day except for about twenty miles that Warren drove, I filled up with petrol a couple of miles back.

Gosford nine pm. getting very tired now but it is not far to go now before I will be home at last, I will try these tablets that Warren bought yesterday, they might brighten me up a bit. Prefect still running well, though it is pinging a bit on hills now, the wireless is playing up, I think it may need a new vibrator cartridge, but it has done a mighty job of entertaining us on the way down, so I have not got much to complain about.

Twelve ten, Blacktown at last and I am getting very excited about seeing Mother again, I can hardly keep my foot of the accelerator.

I dropped Warren off at Granville. It has been a long trip but it is nearly over now, another ten to fifteen minutes and I will be home. The pills worked well, I am still wide-awake.

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