George Frederick Rich

Story

PART THREE

To overcome the lack of grazing land, George Rich applied to the Dept. of Agriculture for a lease on adjoining land that had been set aside for the grazing of ‘Bullock Teams’ that once worked at hauling cut trees from the area. Unfortunately, his application was rejected.

With the ‘Great Depression’ still in evidence, it was financially impossible to maintain the balloted land, and consequently, George had to relinquish his holding and sold the land for a meagre three hundred pounds. (Had he been able to hold the land for a few more years, the natural timber growing on the property alone would have been worth a considerable amount of money.)

In 1946, George and family returned to the Nambucca District and they took up temporary residence in a house owned by Eliza’s aunt (Alice Nash) at Nambucca Heads while their home was being built at Macksville. (The two or three years spent living in the house at Nambucca Heads was probably the most enjoyable times of my life. It was in a natural bush setting, and very close to the magnificent and uninhabited beaches in the area.) George was able to gain employment with the local abattoirs in Macksville in the engineering section, where he subsequently worked for many years. Eventually the family moved to the house in Macksville.

George and Eliza established a Laundry business in Macksville in the fifties and they both worked hard and long hours. George gave up his employment with the abattoirs to give his time to the Laundry business. Unfortunately after several years the business did not prove viable and was discontinued. One of the main problems was the lack of suitable water supply as there was no town water service at the time and water had to be drawn from a well. This well was shared with a local soft-drink manufacturer and they had ownership of the well. I believe they began to severely limit the use of the water to the laundry.

After closure of the laundry business and to pay off the outstanding debts of the laundry business, George commenced selling farm machinery for a local dealer. Eliza involved herself in the backbreaking work of picking beans and peas, packing tomatoes and cucumbers, and packing bananas that were grown on the local farms and plantations. It was hard and dirty work for Eliza but she never complained.

In the late fifties George decided to seek employment and find accommodation for the family in Sydney. He commenced working for a poker machine manufacturer named ‘Nutt & Muddle’ in Rushcutters Bay in Sydney and found rented accommodation in the same area.

In early 1960, Eliza and June joined George in the rented apartment in Waratah Street, Rushcutters Bay. Arthur was already living in Sydney and working as an apprentice carpenter. James stayed in the Macksville residence with his wife MAUREEN HOLTBY and daughter Jennifer June to complete his apprenticeship as a ‘fitter and machinist’.

George worked at ‘Nutt & Muddle’ for many years and later lived in a house on the company’s premises until his forced retirement at the age of seventy years. After retirement George and Eliza returned to the Nambucca District and took up residence in 32 West Street Macksville where they both remained until the George’s death in 1983 at the age of seventy-five. After the his death , Eliza remained alone in the house until she suffered a debilitating stroke in 1993 and was hospitalised in ‘Autumn Lodge Nursing Home’ until her death in 1996 at the age of eighty-six.

Our parents are interred in a common grave in the Methodist – Presbyterian section (lot 31) of Macksville cemetery.

Ancestors of Arthur George Rich:

(1) Solomon Riches

(2) Solomon Rich

(3) Arthur Ramsdale Rich

Arthur George Rich; born 1883 died 1951, married Nellie at 23yrs, widowed at 36yrs

Nellie; born 1887 = died 1919 aged 32yrs

Married; 1906 = aged 19yrs

Children of Arthur and Nellie Rich.

George Frederick Rich; born 1907, died 1983 = orphaned at 12yrs, Lost a child, Charles Rich; born 1910 = orphaned at 9yrs, Arthur Rich; born 1912, died 2000 = orphaned at 7yrs,

Returned to England; 1914?

Frank Rich; born 1915 = orphaned at 4yrs, Thomas Rich; born 1918 = orphaned at 1.5yrs = 1919, You and Your Family:

James Edward Rich

Merrylands Sydney

Life Before Australia:

Ancestors:….(England), Solomon Riches, Solomon Rich, Arthur Ramsdale Rich, Arthur Frederick Rich

Descendants

Children

BLACKFORD, June Margaret, Arthur George RICH, James Edward Rich

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