Edward Charles Bray ⁴

  General Notes:

"BACK TO CROOKWELL"
REMINISCENCES

By Mr. E.C. Bray was born at "James Park" Crookwell in 1857, and can well remember the bushrangers , Ben Hall, Gilbert and Dunn. Johnny Gilbert having been employed by my father (the late James Bray) to break horses, and afterwards he became head stockman. Later he joined the bushrangers, and though they many times burnt out settlers and robbed them, Gilbert would never allow the others to interfere with "James Park." At the time, if they required a fresh mount Gilbert would yard the horses and take his pick; of course he knew the good ones, having broken in a number of them. Later on he would let them go and they would naturally make their way back to where they were bred, there being no fences in those days.
In 1863 my father removed the family to Berrima, where we remained for some years. He then returned to "James Park."
I had not been home for some years, but returned a week before the first Crookwell Show, when I learned of this event was coming off, and seeing the horses my father had, naturally suggested that he should show them. His reply was " No, I being the President, do not feel justified in showing, but will talk the matter over with the committee and see what they think." The result was he allowed me to fix a number of them and I won a lot of prizes, the proceeds of which I fully expected to receive but later on, I found out my father had returned it all to then young society.

About four years later my father died and I returned to the old home 46 years ago. Even in those days a lot of country was in the rough, and swarming with wild horses, kangaroos and wallabies, and in some parts native dogs, which in earlier days prevented settlers having any sheep. I have seen as many as 8 or 9 native dogs poisoned at "James Park" in one night, they having killed a pet foal the night before.

In later years when they became scarce settlers offered rewards up to 25 pond for the brush, and by this means they were wiped out.
Kangaroos and wallabies were the next trouble, and to get rid of these pests the late Mr. Henry Carr, of "Funny Hill" devised a plan by way of digging a large pit and building fences from each corner to act as a guide. Hunters would then line up and with stock whips drive all the vermin in front of them.
At times the pit would be over -full, though 8 or 9 feet, and some would get away. The battle would then began. Some of the beaters would kill and throw the carcasses out of the pit, ready for another drive. I have known as may as 2oo killed in one day.
In later years, each settler would advertise a wallaby drive and as many as 60 or 70 people would turn up with guns and stock-whips. The tallies were taken usually at sundown,when the top scorer would receive three hearty cheers, also the promoters and the cooks.

In the early days all hands had muzzle-loading guns, and I have seen one man carrying as many as four, from the drive to drive: the said man frequently got top score.

The next pest was when the hares put in an appearance, they having come across fro Bathurst, and then the rabbits, which practically hunted the hares ahead of them. At the present time they appear to be the hardest of all to deal with.
The opossum is now almost a thing of the past, but as late as 1865 it was easy matter to kill 150 to 200 before 10 o'clock at night and see as many as 30 or 40 in one tree.
I can well remember when there were only two doctors in Goulburn, Dr. Handford and Dr. Waugh, and only one chemist. My father always kept a medicine chest and supplied those in want, until the case became serious; then he would saddle up the best horse and gallop off to Goulburn for the doctor, which usually took the day and part of the night. No telegraph or phone in those days, and we got our mail once a week from Goulburn, the settlers taking it in turns about to go for it.
Our supplies came usually about twice a year, the dreaded parts for the carriers being Cotta Walla (then "Cotton Valley Flats") and Wade's Hill, before the deviation.
Crookwell in those days had only one hotel which was kept by Horatio Roberts, the premises, now owned and occupied by Mr. Thomas Davis.
The first goods store were opened by the late Mr. S.L. Cox, Mr Charles Shroeder and Mr. Joseph Whiting later opened at the corner now occupied by the Bank of NSW. WE little thought those days that Crookwell would ever become the prosperous town it is now.
⁶

  Birth Notes:

"James Park"

  Death Notes:

Carramar

  Noted events in his life were:

� Other: THE CROOKWELL GAZETTE, 20 Jun 1934, Crookwell, King County, New South Wales, Australia. ⁶ "ONE man in his time plays many parts." So said Shakespeare. ? Mr. E. C. Bray has ably fulfilled this quotation in his life. Commencing life on his own he learnt the sugar-boiling trade, became manager of a factory, manager of a cattle station, sheep breeder-dealer, horse-breeder, dairyman, auctioneer and valuer, veterinary surgeon. He certainly has not been an idle man and today rides his horse and is a very active man in every way giving the lie to his age, in spite of the fact that he has passed the "allotted span." He is yet a very straight man in statue and speech and is possessed, of a particularly fine memory

Edward Charles Bray was born at "James Park," Crookwell, in 1857, being the third son of James W. Bray, who came to Crookwell district in 1835. He left Crookwell temporarily at, the age of five and went to Goulburn to commence his education at a Grammar School (private, there being no public schools at that time) conducted by Mr. S. E. Belcher. Two, years later he was taken by his father to Berrima; where he continued at school and at the age of 14 years he returned with his family to "James Park," Crookwell. For two' years ha assisted his father in his calling of horse breeding and at the age of 16 years went to Grafton to learn the sugar-boiling trade. He progressed rapidly in this sphere and became manager of a large factory at the early age of twenty. This responsible position was, however, short lived, as three months after his appointment the factory and contents, valued at �18,000, were destroyed by fire.

Leaving the sugar trade, single and carefree, he went to Sydney and within a week of his arrival there successfully answered an advertisement for a manager of a cattle station and thus commenced his duties in this respect for the Hon. Alexander Stuart on his property at Hartley on the Cox River. He remained at Hartley in this capacity, until the death of his father in 1881, when he returned to ''James Park" to follow in his father's (and grandfather's) footsteps as a horse-breeder.

Always eager to improve his position, some time afterwards, he commenced to lease large areas of land and went in extensively for sheep. To this stage of his life he had advanced steadily and was in a very prosperous position financially. He invested heavily in sheep and at one stage had as many as 35,000, sheep on hand.

A change of his good fortune took place-that dread disease, Anthrax, got a grip of his sheep taking heavy toll of his stock and finances, in fact left him, penniless. He was holding thousands of pounds, represented in promissory notes, which became worthless. As an instance of his ill fortune he recalls that on one occasion he put 11,000 wethers, which he bought at 9/- a head onto 13,000 acres of land. The disease went through his flock and within about three months he mustered only 1600, which he sold for 2/- a head. Sheep, in full wool, were lying everywhere, and even the wool could not be touched on account of the contagious character of the Anthrax.

Thrown onto his resources, but not beaten, he commenced in a small way, boiling down sheep at "James Park," sending the tallow to Sydney and feeding the carcasses to the pigs. He worked this new business up till be had 350 pigs being fed on the carcasses and in about 18 months boiled down 32,000 sheep. He had bought these at prices ranging from 4d to l6d per head. Later he went in for dairying.

About this time, 42 years ago, he married Lucy, the second daughter of the late John Howard, of "Normanton," Crookwell.

It was about this time also that he launched out as an auctioneer and for 40 years without a break he held an auctioneer's license. It is only during the last year or two that he has retired from this calling and that of veterinary surgeon after many years of successful practice.

Mr. Bray's love of horses is inherited. His grandfather and father were both lovers of horseflesh. They bred horses extensively for the Indian market. At one stage Mr. Bray's father had eight to ten stallions and between 300 and 400 mares. There being no fences, men tailed mobs, of 50 and. 60, all day and at night put them into small paddocks. It was from odd horses lost by his father, that Mr. Bray accounts for the number of wild horses (brumbies) running about the surrounding districts then and later.

Mr. Bray has been a horse judge at shows all over N.S.W. (twice at Sydney) and has been a particularly successful exhibitor at shows. On one occasion he took four horses to Sydney Show and came back with four blue ribbons. At the first Crookwell Show he won four first and three second prizes for his horse exhibits. During the past 53 years he has had as many as 67 stallions of all breeds, including "Sainora," sold for 1500 guineas as a yearling, "Abydos," 1350 guineas, "Normanby" (winner of Sydney Cup), 1000 guineas, and many others of note.

Mr. Bray was a keen shot in his day and was very successful at pigeon shooting contests throughout N.S.W.

Mr. E. C. Bray's first memory of Binda is interesting. It then contained a store, hotel and police station (with two mounted police). The Post Office was at Islington (Binda) and was presided over by Mr. William McDonald. There was no Crookwell then. Some 18 years after Binda became established Crookwell started to go ahead. A Mr. Samuel Cox (father of Messrs. Reg. and Ernie Cox) opened a flourmill and general store next to the present Court House. The flourmill is now used as the freezing works. Another mill was later erected by Mr. James Warne and still stands behind the Commercial Hotel. The hotel was erected about the same time and was conducted by Mr. Edward Stephenson, who was later bought out by Mr. Samuel McGuiness, father of Mrs. L. Munro, of Crookwell.

There were still a few blacks, about in Mr. Bray's boyhood and their chief camp was on "Mount Henry" close to the present residence of Mr. James Norris. The blacks lived on opossums and fish.

At this time there were only two doctors in Goulburn, Dr. Waugh and Dr. Handford, and a clergyman visited Binda once a month. The first clergyman to go to Binda was Rev. Daniel Paul Meek Hulbert, in 1860. He christened Edward Charles at the age of three years.

The bushrangers, Ben Hall, "Gilbert" and Dunn were going strong at this time and kept the early settlers in great fear. The properties on either side of "James Park" were burnt out by them but no harm-befell the family or property of James Bray. The properties that were burnt out are now known as 'Oak Park," Binda, and "Hyde Park" (now Mr. Ingolby Webster's property).

As a boy "Gilbert" worked for Mr. Bray's father, first as a horse-breaker and then as head stockman. He was a reliable man, and a fearless and good rider. However, he got mixed up with bad company and finally went "bush" with others of his kind.

Up to 1861 the then residents of Binda got their mail only once a month from Goulburn. It was by way of a very rough bush track and James Bray and Charles Shelley Oakes took it in turn to obtain their mail from Goulburn. In 1862 Mr. Bray's father and Mr. Oakes were called to Sydney to be sworn in as Justices of the Peace. The trip took a fortnight to complete in a four-in-hand drag. Returning from this trip Mr. James Bray held a Court at Binda every month. When the family moved to Goulburn and later Berrima Mr. Bray's father acted as Police Magistrate in both places

Mr. Bray's father was the first President of the Crookwell A., P. and H. Society.

Mr. and Mrs. Bray reared a family of two daughters, Lucy Muriel (now Mrs. A. F. Graham, of Dally, Queensland), Adeline Mildred (now Mrs. J. H. Dounton, of Lakemba, N.S.W.), and one son, James, of Riverstone. His son enlisted for the Great War at the age of 18 years. There are four grandchildren.
Mr. Bray claims with justifiable pride six generations of the Bray name in Australia-five generations actually born in Australia, a distinction which few, if any, can lay claim to. A glance at this "family tree" reveals some interesting facts, history not only of Crookwell District, but also of New South Wales.

Mr. Bray's great-grandfather, John Bray, came to Australia in the Second Fleet in 1790 with the 102nd Regiment, New South Wales Corp

He married Mary Downes in Sydney, who had been given a grant of 25 acres adjoining John Bray's grant at Concord. She was said to be the first woman to receive a grant of land in New South Wales.

Mr. Bray's grandfather, Thomas Bray, was given a grant of 103 acres of land near Binda (as it is now called) and eventually he acquired additional land making the area, up to 3,600 acres. He had two sons, James (father of Mr. E. C. Bray) and Henry, and later on split up this land, giving 1529 acres on one side of the Crookwell River to James and calling it "James Park," and the balance on the other side of the river to Henry, calling it "Mount Henry," and so the names still survive.

Thomas Bray, on being given the grant, had 70 convicts "allotted" to him. They were in chains and were walked up to Binda from Sydney. At night time the chains were fixed to deeply driven stakes to make the convicts captive. 'An anvil was given to each man that had convicts assigned to him in order to cut off the chains, they being riveted around the convict's limbs. Mr. E. C. Bray still has this anvil, which he naturally cherishes. Also with each batch of convicts Implements of punishment were given, but Mr. Thomas Bray experienced no trouble with his batch and no punishment was required. The convicts were set to work cutting slabs for house building, sheds, etc., and clearing land.

Mr. James Bray continued on "James, Park." He planted an orchard there, and to-day, even though 103 years have passed since its planting the orchard remains and the trees still bear.

� Other: Crookwell Gazette p4 Os Fowler, 23 Oct 1935, Crookwell, King County, New South Wales, Australia. ⁶ Edward Charles Bray, a man without peer as a judge of horse flesh in the Commonwealth today.
In the old days Mr. Bray, can tell you, the district was a happy hunting ground for buyers of cavalry mounts for the Indian Army and the horses bred there were ideal for the army officers. Mr. Bray laid the foundation of that successful era by securing the typical sire that would produce the stock. In those days the Australian horse was known though India, the British Isles
and the world as Walers.
Mr Bray only bought the best. A fearless horseman he could ride any buckjumper to a standstill. Among his well known horses Abydos, Firefly, Caroticus 2, (an imported Welsh pony) and Lord Jersey, a trotter.

� Registration: Death, 1942, Liverpool District, New South Wales, Australia. ⁷

Edward married Maria Todhunter in Darling Point, Cumberland County, New South Wales.¹

Edward next married Lucy Muriel Howard, daughter of John Howard and Harriett Lucy, on 14 May 1892 in Crookwell, King County, New South Wales.^{2 3} (Lucy Muriel Howard was born on 17 Jan 1872 in Yass District, New South Wales ^{1 3} and died after 1955 ³.)