Members of the Hughes family gathered at the old family farm known as Kingston Park on Saturday, August 17, to commemorate the family and celebrate the wonderful long life of Milton Hughes, the ninth of 11 children, who died on May 8, just five weeks short of his 100th birthday.
Milton was born at West Wyalong on June 14, 1924, and was just 11 months old when he came to the Gunnedah district with his family.
Glenny and Margaret Hughes had purchased the property of 1422 acres on the Bulga Road from James Finlay in March 1925, almost 100 years ago. They came from West Wyalong where they had spent almost 10 years on Margaret’s family farm, Mount View, and had lived in Sydney before that, where Glenny had trained and worked at Anthony Hordern’s as a French polisher, later having his own business in Dulwich Hill.
Glenny Hughes and his eldest son Wal, who was almost 17, came ahead, while Margaret and the children followed two months later. They travelled by motor-rail from Woy Woy where they had been staying with Glenny’s sister Charlotte and arrived in Gunnedah in May 1925.
At that time there were nine children in the family Wal (17), Ida (15), Merv (13), Marge (12), Alan (10), Doss (8), Glady (6), Bill (3) and Milton just 11 months old. Two more sons were born in the following years, Don in 1926 and Geoff 1931.
The years spent at Kelvin greatly influenced their growth and development as evidenced by their many stories of adventures – and misadventures.
The house was an old timber style home with verandah and as the family grew, the ‘boys’ room’ was added, built by Merv who had completed his building apprenticeship with an uncle in Lismore. Merv built many houses in Gunnedah in the years that followed.
Glenny and Wal built a two-stand shearing shed – they cut the timber on Woodward’s Hill with axe and cross-cut saw and carted it by horse and lorry. Several neighbours also used this shed. Wal and Alan were also shearers.
Nearly every home in the Kelvin district had a tennis court, which provided social occasions for friends and neighbours as evidenced from stories passed down.
Milton would talk about joining other families for tennis after attending church in Gunnedah on Sundays, with the day’s events followed by a light supper and a singalong around the piano. A photograph of one of these tennis days at Kingston Park hangs in the Kelvin Hall.
The children attended Yarrari bush school, travelling by horse and sulky. Acting on behalf of the neighbouring families, Glenny was instrumental in having a recently closed school building moved closer to the Gunnedah-Kelvin Road to make it easier for more children to attend, as some were travelling four to eight miles each way daily. Kingston Park was about four miles from the school – a one-room schoolhouse, with one teacher instructing all grades. In 1930 their teacher was Mr Uren, who they would pick up in the sulky along their way to school, also Mrs Uren on Thursdays, as this was sewing day for the girls.
Those years at Kelvin saw all the highs and lows of living on the land … good seasons, droughts, and of course the Depression. As it was for all families, this meant extra effort on everyone’s part to carry on. Milton and Bill used to collect ‘dead wool’ and catch foxes and hares for their skins. Times were tough, but their Mum would always have some hot scones and cream or rock cakes for them.
Kingston Park was sold in 1936 to the Cull family, of Bulga Pastoral Company, and the family moved into Gunnedah, so the younger children in the family could complete their education. They lived at 136 Little Bloomfield Street.
Glenny had several roles – he was a representative for Rawleigh’s products, worked on the weighbridge during harvest, and resumed his profession of French polishing. Margaret provided board for out-of-town high school students, she was a faithful member of the Methodist Church playing the organ for their services, also for the Salvation Army and other functions. She was a member of the CWA and other societies and was renowned for her cooking, especially sponge cakes and cream puffs.
Some of the family became farmers and stayed in the district – Wal settled near Boggabri; Marge (later Constable) lived at Colly Blue; Alan, Glady (Stones) and Geoff all near Gunnedah, and Ida (Gomersall) moved to Goovigen in Queensland. Doss (Laybutt) lived in Sydney, and Bill, Milton, Don and Merv also went to Sydney, before retiring elsewhere.
Margaret died suddenly in 1959 aged 74, and Glenny in 1965 at the age of 84.
In his memoirs Milton wrote: “Personally our Mum and Dad were sterling people who understood and taught each one of us how to be Christians with tolerance and moderation in our lives. They did a great job with 11 children through Depression, drought and two major wars. It was tough times, yet we all survived to lead healthy long lives, with plenty of family reunions to keep the family’s name on the move.”
“A sentiment that was shared by all,” Margaret van der Wall said.
“We were saddened to lose the last two members of the ‘Hughes 11’ this year, with Geoff (late of Morisset) dying in March, aged 93, and Milton (Caloundra) in May.
“We, in the next generation greatly admire their resolve and resilience and are inspired to continue to hold the strong family values so important to our parents and grandparents.
“And so, we come to Kingston Park to place Milton’s ashes back on ‘home soil’. This was a special wish of Milton’s family, and we are very grateful to Robert Cull and Daniel Knapman for enabling us to share in this poignant family tribute.”
The Hughes Family at 136 Little Bloomfield Street, Gunnedah, December 1937. Back, Wal, Merv, Alan, Margaret, Glenny, middle row, Ida, Marge, Doss, Glady, front, Bill, Milton, Don and Geoff.
The ‘Hughes Eleven’, back, Geoff, Merv, Alan, Bill, Milton, Don, front, Ida Gomersall, Glady Stones, Wal, Doss Laybutt and Marge Constable.
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