Small world

I received a phone call this week from a very distant relative - he and I shared the same Great Great grandparents (on my Mother's side) . The Mudgee Historical Society had given Tim my name and phone number, so we had a long chat - and he then emailed me a pile of historical paperwork on our family, some I had, but there was some new information there as well. I have since sent him some other papers. Anyway Frank and I are hoping to go to Mudgee in a couple of weeks time to look through the Historical Society's photos and the Anglican Church photos, and have a very good wander.

You see our great great grandfather was a forwarding agent on the Mudgee to Capertree Valley run. A wee titbit - The Capetree Canyon rivals the Grand Canyon in length, by 1 kilometre they say - it has sandstone escarpments soaring to hundreds of meters in height which encircle the valley. Henry Lawson wrote his poem, "Song of the old bullock driver" in 1891, he became the first notable Australian to put into words the rugged beauty of the Capertree Valley - which today is a 30 minute drive north of Lithgow.

The Capertree Canyon

*****

In the 1870's our great great grandfather Thomas, drove the gold (escort) coach from Gulgong, he also brought the magnificent British pipe organ and bell for St. John's Church, Mudgee over the Great Dividing Range in 1881.

St John's Anglican Church and its Bell Tower. The Bell is made of steel, exceedingly heavy - 3 feet 7 inches tall and 13 feet 1 inch in diameter.

This Brindley and Foster Organ is said to be one of the finest examples of 19th century British organs,

It looks rather large , and has just been restored at 126 years old ($160,000) and is expected to last at least another 100 years.

The entire goods weighed 27 tons and it was considered a marvellous feat to cart this load over the inhospitable mountains on a dirt road in 1881 using a 12 horse team.

I am hoping to be able to find some old photos of the arrival of the bell and organ at the Church, that might just show our great great grandfather as well - who at this time was a Wesleyan!

Henry Lawson, mentioned him in one of his stories 'Gettin' back on Dave Regan" as well - Thomas was a bit of a character it seems.