blasts from the past

[reefer]

HAHA BILLY... YOU SURE CAN ! Mate i don't know when we might head out that way.. we had such a good night despite the gremlins but you even fixed them! we've been concentrating on the Abercrombie for awhile now.. sniping.. and it ain't all bad.So who knows when we might catch up with you and your lovely partner In the mean time though Itrust your well and will look forward to catching up ..sometime in the future..cheers Rossco

 

[reefer]

Wishfull..I'M HEARING YA MATE! Our parents are almost always set in their ways..Their products of their age.. as we are to ours. Lets hope that our collective consciences can reach such heights as to rid the world of the curse of war and the evil villains who promote it.!Peace be unto ye and the ones you love..cheers Rossco

 

[Billy]

HAHA BILLY... YOU SURE CAN ! Mate i don't know when we might head out that way.. we had such a good night despite the gremlins but you even fixed them! we've been concentrating on the Abercrombie for awhile now.. sniping.. and it ain't all bad.So who knows when we might catch up with you and your lovely partner In the mean time though Itrust your well and will look forward to catching up ..sometime in the future..cheers Rossco

Twas a great night indeed mate and a great way to spend an evening out bush. A rarity for me down that way, having live music and all
The gremlins didn't stand a chance with us ol rockers on the job ay
Wish you all the best in your endeavours and yep going well and hope to see you out this way in the future to fire it up and rock the scrub! :lol:

Cheers,

Billy.

 

[Creekbed]

Reefer yeah strong as a bull and tough as nails. Check out the arms on him in the pic below .
As for tough ................
Didn't matter which way the tree was leaning you could put an x on the ground and he would drop the tree on it ..................... be good to see some other members Dads in action from years gone by Reefer do you know how old your uncle was when pic was taken ?

Yeah Bogger, I can relate to what you say about dropping a tree on the "X"

My Grandfather was an old axeman like his father. They made a living at times cutting sleepers and Bridge Timbers and timber (wattle I think) for charcoal.

I can remember and have some 8mm film of Grandfather rope around his waist shimmying up massive camphorlaurel trees (15 of em) we had down the fence line in our suburban backyard and dropping them exactly where he wanted. He was in his early 60s and still strong as an Ox. Everything was done by Axe.

His father held or holds the record for the longest/largest hand cut single bridge girder ever taken through the North Coast Town of Taree (I think it was) by a Team.

Tough men and women back in those days.

Cheers Creekbed.

 

[reefer]

Fascinating stuff Creekbed!...would you have any pics mate...or even more factual info?..sharing our fathers' experience is our heritage.and the sharing of our heritage gives enormous strength to our 'collective consciousness'. It reinforces who and what we are,what we aspire to be and creates empathy amongst our ranks for each other. I met 'Billy ' for instance on just one occasion.. yet when we converse nowadays, its as if we have been mates for ages...perhaps in some mysterious way we have been...who knows... but I strongly believe that we are mind,body and soul.."MBS".... whichever way you interpret it and in the shake of a blokes hand one can get a sense of the character of a man...some are timid and awkward,others are aggressive and domineering, and some are like 'Billys' ...warm,firm and welcoming..A'connection' if you like of MBS..and my experience thus far in meeting members from here is that most of them are like minded people all and each on there separate journey through life but sharing the same hopes and aspirations as myself..call it 'mateship' if you like call it what you will but its alive and well if you reach out your hand and type it in any post i make here.

not the best pic ihave of me but ..you get the picture...

 

[numpty]

wow...you look a lot like your dad .

 

[Creekbed]

There are some photos somewhere of the tree felling in our yard but not sure if I've got them or they are in my parents house still.

Sadly my Dad is now gone so the details about the huge girder are from my memory of what he told me. It was as said the largest ever taken through the town but I am not absolutely sure if it was Taree or maybe a bit further north like Coffs or somewhere like that

Great Grandfather did live at Kendall near Wauchope for a long time but I have something in my mind telling me they were further North at Eungai when the girder was cut.
Not may photos taken that I have found. They lived pretty rough. If there is any photo my aunty (Dad's sister) would have it

I'll see what I can find
Creekbed

 

[reefer]

this here was what i first started highbanking with it was rough copy of one i saw at Tuena..maybe 20 years ago..this was..boy did me and me cobbers clear some yella in those days..a lot of pickers then..you don't tend to see as many these days..least i have'nt

hehe heres another type of picker..near 30years ago..still picki'n but back then this was my main instrument.

 

[Solid Luck]

love it reefer!

 

[reefer]

Hey Hard Luck! Glad your enjoying my little trip down memory lane try this for size

this was taken on the yerangabilly river(not sure of the spelling..its up Kiandra way

this is me in Nashville..the banjo pickers have all the fun

 

[Solid Luck]

I love banjos and the sound they make.

 

[reefer]

Yep I do too Ialso like the little pickers in this pic..for the newbies...you too can get amongst these and the like by seeking out the places where gold is likely to accumulate ..this lot was in the cracks and so on in a rock bar that ran basically at 90 degrees to the flow of water in a creek associated with the Abercrombie..but you can find them in almost any known gold bearing ck.we did a bit of sniping for this lot..about 2hrs work here,,of course you need a 'pipe lense' for want of a better word ..just a length of 50 or 100mm plastic pipe to which on one end you fix some clear perspex and a bit of a handle thingo on the other. you looky looky.. ho! YOU SEE! THEN YOU USE TWEEZER AND YOU PICKY PICKY!ho!

 

[user 7268]

the shake of a blokes hand one can get a sense of the character of a man...some are timid and awkward, others are aggressive and domineering, and some are like 'Billys' ...warm, firm and welcoming

Rossco how true your words .............................. Describes very well the hand shake of Noel from Long Gully Station in Qld ...................... came away from there and actually looking forward to catching up with him again as much as getting back over the yella. He is the type of bloke that you know you could be life long mates with. Top bloke with a dry sense of humor ..................... and an enjoyable character to spend time with.
There is a lot indeed said in a handshake There is the grip like a vice then there is the dead fish one

One of my favorite banjo playing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsC4kf6x_Q0

 

[Tathradj]

There was an old fella down this way a few years back and he
could really make a 8 string Banjo or 12 String guitar go.
You could not see his fingers moving at some stages.
Gee I miss the Old Music Makers.
My Father was a Trumpet player in Old time Dance Bands all
his life.
Joined the Bega District Band at 16.
Berry, 1948. Dad is the 4th Player, Back Row.

 

[Tathradj]

This is Alph Grimmett's Black Smith Shop in Moliagul.
Great, Great GrandFather
Circa 1890

 

[Tathradj]

My Mum even when full of Arthritis would do any thing,
Taken aprox 1980

 

[reefer]

love it SPIN!..You mentioned soon after our first phone call that your Dad played in that band ..but to see the pics from
the day is just fantastic! and your grandfather..is on the left..or right..your dear mum eh...she was a goer... you look a lot like her..from what i can see...hehe.great stuff cobber..by the way.. in my earlier post it was remiss of me ,not to mention you along with the likes of Barry and Chris in terms of handshakes..and theres a list of others who i've had the honour of meeting from this forum.It seemed appropiate to post up a few of my old ..gold and family pics along with a few words of desription and minor rants on life these days..i'm possitive that those who came before us would approve of it and in the sharing of them amongst ourselves the sense of family is promoted among us of the "The True blue". Hope to catch up in the not to distant future mate!

 

[Mackka]

Beautiful photos Tath and I bet even better memories.
Speaking of Banja players we have one of the worlds best common to Qld in December, Jens Kruger. Info available on Brisbane Bluegrass facebook.
Cheers
Mackka

 

[reefer]

hehe Duel'n banjos...we do a version of that Doug...kind'a required skill for most players..hehe people just love to hear it over and over..i find....Anyway, as you know from my Dramatized Biography of my Fathers life..Langlands a Journey..,My great,great,great Great-grandfather was Nicholas Delaney..a hero of the 1789 Rebellion again British Rule in Ireland. For his role in the shooting of two british Yeoman he was sentenced to Death by hanging but later had the sentence commuted to 14years hard labour and arrived aboard the Atlas2 in oct1802. The family later moved one of the first herds of cattle over the Blue Mtns. and settled in Hartley. here in the picture below is my G.G.Grandfather John, with my father at 18mths. sitting on his knee

The occasion was a golden wedding anniversary. this was in 1915.

above as the Family Band.. 1854 .... At a Delaney family reunion at the time there 3000 descendants old Nicholas, of which 450 attended on the day. :lol:

 

[Mackka]

Hey Reefer don't stop mate, I love these stories. One of my employee's in another lifetime was a direct descendent of Charles Wentworth of the famed Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth. Gees I miss that young bloke. Died at 26.
Keep em comin and get on that Banja!
Mackka