- New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 – 1900), Friday 3 September 1875 (No.236), page 2719
In the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION. [Bertha Sarah Walker]
In the goods of Westby Walker, late of Sofala, in the Colony of New South Wales, surgeon, deceased, intestate.
NOTICE is hereby given, that after the expiration of fourteen days from the publication hereof, application will be made to this Honorable Court, in its Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, that letters of administration of the goods, chattels, credits, and effects of the abovenamed deceased, may be granted to Bertha Sarah Walker, in the Colony aforesaid, the widow and next of kin of the said deceased.—Dated this 1st day of September, A.D. 1875.
HENRY DRIVER,
Proctor for the Applicant, Bathurst.
4676 6s. 6d.
2. Toowoomba Chronicle and Queensland Advertiser (Qld. : 1861 – 1875), Wednesday 9 January 1867, page 3
DREADFUL TRAGEDY AT SOFALA.
( Correspondence of the Bathurst Times.)
On Christmas Eve, about 10 o’clock, our usually quiet town was thrown into a state of excitement, by the report that murder and suicide had been committed by a man, by cutting his wife’s and his own throat. The report only proved to be too true, and a more ghastly and revolting sight could not be imagined than the one that met the eyes of the people running to the spot, where a man lay in the road with his throat cut from ear to ear, and, in a house close by, a woman in a similar state. A magisterial enquiry was held yesterday morning, by H. Bridson, Esq., P.M., when the following particulars were ascertained: — A man named Robert Corff had some disagreement with his wife and her parents, and, by the advice and interference of the latter, the wife refused to live with the husband, but both were nevertheless in the habit of meeting, occasionally, on the bank of the river, near the residence of the wife’s parents. On Christmas Eve Robert Corff was seen sitting with his wife, near the house, when the cries of the baby, that was with the mother, were heard by a younger brother of the wife, who, coming to the spot, discovered Mary Corff lying on her side, with her throat cut, and Robert Corff on his hands and knees The boy immediately made known what he had seen, and the poor woman was removed to her parent’s house, where both Dr. Hinton and Dr. Walker were in immediate attendance, but both doctors declared the case hopeless, and the poor woman died within the hour. Sergeant Casey found the man lying dead in the road, with his throat cut from ear to ear and a razor in his hand. It is most extraordinary how such a deed could be committed within a few yards of a public-house, stores, and private residences in the town, on such an evening, when so many people were walking about, without drawing the attention of some people near the spot.
Since the above was in type, we have received a copy of the evidence taken at the magisterial inquiry, which we subjoin : — «John M’Guiness, junior, being duly sworn, said: I am son of John M’Guiness, of Sofala. I have seen the body now lying in the old lock-up. I identify it as the body of Robert Corff,’ who was married to my sister Mary. I saw the deceased alive last night, about 10 , o’cLock; he was talking to his wife, my sister. I was standing with my mother at our own door.; They were on the bank of the river, near Anderson’s public-house, and distant from our house about thirty yards. I heard mother say to my sister, ” Mary, are you coming home —it is bed-time ?” My sister said, ” Yes, mother.” In a few minutes’ time I heard the little boy my sister had with her scream, and mother said to me, “Run down, John, here is Robert beating Mary.” I ran down at once, and found my sister lying on her side, j I saw that her throat was cut, and that blood was running out of the wound. The deceased was on his hands and knees; his throat was also cut, and I saw the blood pouring out of his neck. He had an open razor in his right hand. My sister’s baby was lying under the deceased, and was covered with blood. I picked it up, and called out, “Mother, Bob has cut Mary’s throat and his own too.” I ran away, and gave the child to somebody, and then went for the police. I knew that my sister and deceased were not living happily together.
John Myers, being duly sworn, said as follows: I am in the employ of Mr. Smeed, at the Two Mile Creek. I have seen the body in the old lock up. I identify it as the body of Robert Corff, who was also in Mr. Smeed’s employ. Yesterday deceased and I were working at haymaking together. Deceased went to his dinner about noon, and did not return to his work until 4 o’clock in the after-noon. I said to him, ” Where have you been, Bob?” He said, ” Writing.” Deceased came in with me from the Two Mile Creek to Sofala last night about 8 o’clock, lie changed a cheque for £1 at Mrs. Flynn’s public-house. We had two nobblers together. About half-past 8 or 9 o’clock deceased said, ” I have an appointment to meet my wife; I must go.” Ho was then quite sober. When he was going away he said, ” If I could get my wife to come down and have a dance, I should be a happy man.” On the way, coming in from the Two Mile Creek, deceased said to me that last Saturday night his wife had refused to wash a shirt for hirn. He seemed very much put out about it, but said he did not blame iior so much as he did the old people, her parents.
Walter Cassels Casey, being sworn, said: I am a sergeant in the police force stationed at Sofala. Last night, about 10 o’clock, I was on duty in the town. I was standing at the corner of Denison and Davis street?. I saw a disturbance in the direction of Anderson’s public-house. I at once went over. As I passed some one said, ” Sergeant, there has been murder committed on the river.” As I went down the back of the river, I met Mr. and Mrs. McGuinnoss, and another man carrying a woman whose clothes were covered with blood. Mrs. McGuiness said, ” Oh, he has murdered my poor girl.” I said, ” Where is he?” She answered, “In the river.” I went down to the river, and found deceased lying on his back. He had a razor open in his hand. His head was nearly out off, and blood was running from the wound in spurts. I put my hand under his shirt, and felt his heart beat several times. He died almost immediately. The distance from where I was standing to where I found the deceased, is not over forty yards. I at once sent for a surgeon, and left the body in charge of constable McLoay. I went over to Mr. McGuincss’s house, where I saw Mrs. Corff lying on the floor. Her throat was cut, and I heard Dr. Walker say she could not recover. I had the body of the deceased man removed to the lock-up. On searching the pockets, I found the letter I now produce, addressed to Mr. Walford, Sofala. I took it to Mr. Walford, who told me to open and read it. I did so.
I now produce the letter: — ” To Mr Walford, Sofala. ” 24th December, 18GG. ” Dear Sir, — I have come to the conclusion to depart this life, as my cruel wife will live with me no more, and I cannot live without her, she is my life, my light. I took my dirty shirt to her to get it washed. She told me she could not wash it, so then I said ‘ Oh ! the old people have been putting something in your head’— no answer — ‘ Well then/ said I, ‘ take it and mend the sleeve, and I will wash it myself.’ She said she could not, so I throwed it at her. She told me to come to her no more, but to send my money by anybody. Well, it grieved me to the heart. I then said; My dear, I will come to-morrow night and bring you a cheque for one pound for the last time.’ I kept my cheque from her to see how things would go. Oh my God ! Look down on my poor little innocent children 1 My wife told me she would go – to service, as the old people would keep the children. I said, ‘ You shan’t go.’ She says, ‘ I will, and you cannot stop me.’ So I thought I would stop her. It is her parents’ doing, and so they must abide by the consequences. God bless my children and keep them from all danger, and never let them know what became of their parents. Mr. Walford, be kind enough, dear sir, to put my children in the Orphan School, and lay me and my dear wife side by side. I love her, I adore her, I care for nothing but her, and I cannot leave her with that bad woman. O ! good Lord have mercy on our poor souls, as we have passed our days in Thy fear, so I hope we may end them in Thy favour, and rejoice with Thee forever in Thy Heavenly Kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour, who with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth One God world without end. Amen. Farewell! Farewell forever; Farewell !
“Robert and. Mary Corff”
I also found a razor case in the trousers pocket. I produce the razor I found in de ceased’s band. It is covered with blood. On the handle is scratched ” R. Corff.”
Westby Walker, on oath, said: I am a duly qualified medical practitioner, residing at Sofala. Last night I was called on by sergeant Casey, to see the body of a man lying on the road near Anderson’s public-house. I have seen the body now in the old lock-up. It is the same. I have made a careful examination of the body. I find that the throat has been cut almost from ear to ear. AU the principal blood vessels have been divided; also the windpipe is cut through in two places. I believe there have been three cuts made. Such a wound would cause death in two or three minutes. From the evidence I have heard, and also from the direction of the wounds, I am of opinion that it has been a case of the most determined suicide. Somewhat similar evidence was given at the inquiry of the body of Mary Corff, aged 19 years.
3. Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), Saturday 11 April 1863, page 6
ADELAIDE.
Friday, 7 p.m.
Sofala.-At the quarterly meeting of the New South Wales Medical Board, held in the Committee Room of the Sydney Infirmary, on Tuesday, April 7th, Mr, Westby Walker, surgeon, Sofala, Turon River, was admitted as a legally qualified medical practitioner.
4. Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), Friday 3 September 1875, page 7
Recent Death of Dr Westby Walker
SOFALA.-The recent death is announced, at Sofala, of Dr. Westby Walker, who had been suffering more or less, for about two years from the effects of an accident. Deceased was medical officer to the Oddfellows, and was returning from the lodge, about three months since, when he was taken seriously ill. He rallied a little, but was seized with a fit a fortnight ago while attending an inquest. He was attended professionally by his neighbour, Dr. Hinton. His death took place on the 28th of August. He was buried the following after-noon, and his funeral was largely attended, the Oddfellows marching in procession to the grave. The service was read by Brother the Rev. W. Coombes, who preached an im-pressive sermon in the evening from 2 Corinthians v. 1 to 5.
5. Sydney Mail (NSW : 1860 – 1871), Saturday 16 February 1867, page 9
CAN THE ORANGE BE CULTIVATED IN THE WESTERN DISTRICT?
[FROM A CORRESPONDENT.]
Some time ago there appeared a paragraph in the Bathurst Free Press on the culture of the orange tree in the Western district, pointing out Brucedale (a few miles from Bathurst), the seat of hlr. W. H. Suttor, where the curious might have the opportunity of feasting on the orange trees in full foliage, of a healthy green, and growing very luxuriantly, Mr. Suttor also expressing confidence of their yielding fruit at the usual age at which orange trees generally bear, —when about eight years old. We are now in a position to appease the most sceptical on that point, as we are informed by Dr. Walker, of Sofala, on the Turon River, that he has one orange tree luxuriantly growing in his garden immediately behind the house. The tree stands in an eastern aspect and is about seven (7) feet high, its branches spreading nearly two yards around it; it is at present in full bearing; the oranges beginning to ripen and turn yellow, and are of a fair average size; the tree cannot have less than 150 full grown oranges upon it. When in bloom it was really a show, and some hundreds of oranges must have formed and fallen off when about the size of marbles, owing most probably to its infancy and the very long drought. This year the tree is (8) eight years old, and last year had (5) five full-grown oranges upon it, fully ripened. This season most of the inhabitants on the Turon, as well as strangers from a distance, have inspected the orange tree, and some of the most sceptical must now confess that tropical vegetation may be acclimatised to the. Western district. It is now six years since the orange trees (half a dozen in number), along with some lemons, were planted {two years old) from Mr. Shepherd’s Darling Nursery, Sydney ; they are all in a very healthy condition, and bloomed well, and some fruit also formed, but fell off during the very long drought. Sofala, February 14th.
6. Lithgow Mercury (NSW : 1898 – 1954), Wednesday 14 July 1937, page 4
GOLD-DIGGING DAYS – BACK TO OLD SOFALA
(By WILL CARTER.)
Said young Sofala Present unto old Sofala Past,
Whose eyes had still a sparkle, and whose thoughts were backward
Come, walk with me, and talk to me, of old familiar ways,
And of places, and of peoples who lived; in the early days
Come, point me out a cottage where so-and-so was born,
And tell of jovial diggers who have rolled their swags and gone.
The rambling street was full of inns, they say, in days of yore,
What wasn’t then a public-house was bound to be a store.
Old timbers still are standing; and monuments of stone,
And scattered bricks have stories of an interest all their own.
And you’ll awaken echoes in telling this and that,
Of “George the Snob,” “The Jingler,” and “Mick of Monday Flat.”
(Copyright.) No. 10.
A BIT OF STRIPPING ‘ In alluvial mining there is often a considerable amount of stripping to be done, in order to facilitate the’ treatment of the gold-bearing wash-dirt; the deeper the ground, the greater the body of overburden to be removed, of course. When dealing with, a particular period of time in the course of a town’s history, the process is somewhat the same, though, in the latter sense, the stripping off is of years, instead of merely feet of clay. Let us then begin stripping at the surface level of 1936. By removing 56 years we reach the 1880 stratum of Sofala. Let us now strip off, say, 20 more years, and we reach the Old Sofala period of 1860. Now, away with nine more years and we reach Oldest Sofala, and the currency of events commencing in 1851. The process responds actually to the experience of mining operation: the gold goes down, the nearer the rock ; the richer the deposit. We have thus stripped off 85 years, and reached the richest stratum of all. Chronologically, then, Oldest Sofala extends from 1851 to I860, Old Sofala from 1860 to 1880, and Sofala thenceforward to the present time.
CONSTANT CHANGE. Change is always producing its effect in. the disposition of business in a township, be it old or recent. There is mostly’ someone— a grocer,’ baker, butcher, tailor, or chemist disposing of his business to another; a stranger to the town, very often, who replaces him in the street. For this reason, it is inevitable that when a writer comes along to tell, in after years, who lived here, who kept a grocery there, or ran a hotel business somewhere else in the town, at a certain period, he is almost sure to find some critic arise to point out what ho deems to be an error.: He frequently writes to the paper responsible, for the published ‘ statement to enlighten the editor thusly: “It wasn’t Grimes who had a grocery shop in Blank-street, it was a man by the name of Jones.” As a matter of fact, Grimes, Jones, Brown and Robinson had all conducted. a grocery in. the same premises; at different times, and the critic had only known of Jones. A recorder writes of who- was who, and where, at a certain period with which he has familiarised himself, as I am about to do with regard to Denison-street, Old Sofala, sometime in- the sixties.
THE MAIN STREET IN THE SIXTIES The great gold rush in 1851 furnished Sofala with a considerable population in a very short space of time. Miners acquired a small residential allotment of land by virtue of their miner’s rights, and down they settled in tent or hut, some to shift off ere long, and make way. for others, and the rest to remain and extend their holdings. Town-planning had not concerned men’s minds, surveys and alignment of streets were dispensed with in the hurry, and so the old town, like Topsy, just “growed.” That streets straggled somewhat crookedly, and that obscure by-lanes served in places of cross-streets, was only a natural consequence. On coming from Wattle Flat one entered Denison-street, the main thoroughfare, at the foot of the hill. On the right side stood Anderson’s public-house, the next place being a store kept by Maxwell. Then came Walford, who was in a big way of business. He was general storekeeper, sold wines and spirits, and bought gold extensively. Chisholm’s store was next, with reserve premises almost adjoining, in which lie kept produce and sundries. Nearby stood Jack White’s fruit shop and confectionery, with Williams’ hotel below. Further down one came to a public-house run by George Morrison, known as “George the Snob,” handy with his fists, and whose billiard-marker was “Black” Perry, a noted champion of the ring. Lonergan, the bootmaker, came next in order, and then the old “Barley Mow” Inn owned by Foreman, and destined with considerable extension, and under another name (The Royal) to survive all other hotels in the township. A blacksmith and farrier’s shop came next, and it was there that William Rogers, recently deceased, learned his trade under a man named Smith. Dan Martin’s store followed, and that brought one to Dr. Walker’s premises. Lower down there was a Chinese store, kept by Ah Son, and the next place was Hennessy’s bakery, whose owner was killed later by a kick from one of his horses. Then came private homes occupied by Messrs. Webster, Williamson (“Sam the Jingler”), Monteith McCloy and Charles Brooks. Stacey, the carpenter, lived next door, with three stores below, kept by Cummings, Patterson and Southcott. A little down from there lived “Brummy” Griffiths, with Johnny Morgan next door. Swain’s hotel was the last’ refreshment house on that side of the street, and Riley’s store was below that again. Retracing one’s steps along the old street, a tannery was noticed across the Turon River, and kept then by a I man named Pickering, a son of the Rev. Pickering, a Methodist minister of Sofala. That ancient Tannery’s demand for wattle bark robbed Wattle Flat of a deal of its golden (wattle) glory. Now, starting down the street again for an inspection of the left-side premises, we. found Chisholm’s saddlery, and then James Fulton’s fine store. A bootmaker named Harland had a small shop below, and later built a fine two-storey brick building, the first -brick premises erected at Sofala. In time, that passed into the possession of James Fulton, who let the place to the Bank of. N.S.W., and when it closed its doors, the City Bank occupied the building. Jim Tilling’s public-house came next, then Alfred Taylor’s saddlery, and a store kept by. Mrs.Cole. . A narrow by-lane and then O’Connor’s store, with Pout’s place below, succeeded by William Taylor’s general store, separated from Keegan’s store by some private houses, one of which was occupied by Smith, a blacksmith. One of the earliest hostelries of Sofala was kept by John Williams, and below stood the old wooden post-offlce, kept then by Postmaster Smith; Another little laneway, and one reached William Beecham’s’ shop, which was burnt down later. Below that was a yard which Hennessy the baker used for his horses. A little below, where at Bowen-street intersected obliquely lived Billy Moloney, the coach-driver at that time, and just across was Dr. Hinton’s pharmacy, and then Mrs Willett’s Inn. Farther down, on the left side, stood the “Dublin Tavern, kept by McLean for many years, at no great distance from Swain’s, which was on the other side of the street. It was not a very elegant thoroughfare, the same old Denison-street. It was not as wide as Macquarie-street, in Sydney, its buildings were not imposing, nor distinguished for their architectural beauty, but it is very probable that more gold was converted into cash there, and more cash put into circulation along its course in the first 20 years of gold-getting on the famous old field, than in any other mining town in the State. This brief survey is merely confined to the main street and its business in the sixties. Walford’s was, perhaps, the most conspicuous place of business, and was run on wholesale as well as retail lines. Most of the inns purchased their spirits from him. Fulton was a genuine friend and backer, ever ready to keep a digger going at his prospecting operations, where he saw the man was deserving of help. He was first in business at Wallaby Rocks, later acquiring the Sofala business from his brother William, who left for other parts. There is a story told of Prosper’s nugget, and how it came to be found, which was bearing on the subject of business-backing. Prosper had been kept going with supplies for months by Fulton. His luck was dead out, like that of Skewes, previously commented upon. He was working up at Redbank at the time and at last Fulton’ had to tell him that he could only grant him another week’s supplies. Before the week had passed. Prosper turned up with a splendid nugget worth hundreds of pounds. Fulton made him an advance, after squaring his account, and Prosper sold the nugget at the bank next day, and in this way Prosper became prosperous, but he never forgot Fulton and the faith he so Iong reposed in him.
7. North Western Courier (Narrabri, NSW : 1913 – 1955), Thursday 26 May 1927, page 5
OBITUARY
MRS. ROBERT HARDY [Elizabeth nee Comber]
The death occurred on May 21st, of Mrs. Robert Hardy, an old and highly respected resident of the Nar-abri district. Deceased came on the Namoi in the early seventies, where her husband had taken up land, which waa afterwards known as
“Mollie View”, and he later acquired Bell’s Mount, near Barraba, and Largreen, in the Warialda district. Her early life was spent on the famous Turon diggings, where she lived with her aunt, whose husband, Dr. Walker, was Government medical officer. She had vivid recollections of the excitement of eager selectors for gold and the starting each month of the gold escort, surrounded by mounted troopers. J. W. Mackay, known in America as ‘The Silver King,’ who died in 1902, was also an uncle. The late Mrs. Hardy leaves a family of three sons and five daughters. They are: Percy (Narrabri), Arthur (Scone), Andrew (Queensland), Mrs. Liferman (Paddington), Mrs. Miller (Pyrmont), Mrs. Malone (Murrurundi), and Mrs. Wall and Mrs. Rowland (Narrabri). Her husband predeceased her 20 years ago, also one daughter.
8. Evening News (Sydney, NSW : 1869 – 1931), Thursday 15 March 1877, page 2
Marriage
O’HERN— WALKER —March 13, at St. Andrew’s cathedral, by the Rev. Canon O’Reilly, John Collins O’Hern, to Bertha Sarah, widow of the late Dr. Westby Walker, of Sofala.
9. New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 – 1900), Tuesday 5 July 1864 (No.134), page 1518
The Treasury, New South. Wales, 1st July, 1864
THE undermentioned persons have been duly authorized to sell Postage Stamps from the dates set against their names respectively:—
1864.
13th May Mr. Westby Walker, surgeon, Sofala.
10. Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), Thursday 15 March 1877, page 1
MARRIAGES.
O’HERN—WALKER.—March 12, at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, by the Rev. Canon O’Reilly, John Collins O’Hern, to Bertha Sarah, widow of the late Dr. Westby Walker, of Sofala. No cards.
11. Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), Tuesday 14 September 1875, page 1
DEATHS.
WALKER.—August 28, at his residence, Sofala, Westby Walker, surgeon, aged 72 years, after a long and painful illness, which he bore with Christian fortitude, leaving a wife and large circle of friends to mourn their loss.
The second confirmation of William’s existence is the 1851 Scotland Census:
