William James Barrows (1871 - 1963)

W.J.Barrows born 19-5-1871 at Mingbool. The family used to drive a horse in spring cart to Church, about eleven miles through swamps and very rough road. A few years later we shifted to Torrensdale. I can just remember Dad playing a flute to help the singing in the very small Church. [The Church built by T.Atkin at Holdings gateway.] After leaving there we shifted to Penola Rd and lived in a small house while building a bigger one in 1879. There were four sisters older than me. The five of us went to Sunday School at the home of Mrs. Fidler until we were old enough to attend the town Sunday School which at that time was under the Church. I remember seeing from the front of the Church, the last of the Aboriginies Camp on what is now the Catholic property. We kids all started school at Sutton Town, one and a half miles away, Mr & Mrs Cadwallader were the teachers. We took six-pence every Monday morning to help pay the teachers. A few years later we went to the Town School, a seven mile walk each day. My sisters all joined the Choir when old enough, and stuck to it until they were married. I started about 1887 and put in about 40 years. All but one of us did our share of solo work. In 1907 I married one of the Choir girls and when the family started to come she found she had other duties and left the Choir. She has done her share of Church work and is still going strong at 75. She made a good job of bringing up our family of three, Laurie, Olga and Bryce and they all joined up the choir and Bryce is still there (1958), so there has been a Barrows in the Choir for about 80 years. In 1879 the railway to Beachport was opened and Mother took one of us to Adelaide by boat from Beachport & back. I finished school at 13 years and started ploughing the same year, when almost too small to harness the horses which were fed 5 A.M. & 9 P.M. and walking over a hundred miles a week. We had some fine horses & bred several stallions. When a foal was expected I often got up 2 or 3 times a night to see every thing was O.K. When the first cheese factory started I carted milk 5 miles receiving 2.5 pence a gallon. We had 600 sheep in 1914 drought year, the ewes got so poor that they could not feed the lambs, only about 120 lambs lived and just as they were well, dogs came in one night and killed 90 of them, I put out poison next day and picked up 24 dead dogs. Later I started a Border Leicester stud of 12 ewes and 1 ram, eleven of the ewes had twins, the other had one, quite a good job, a few years later I tried Rylands with not so good results but with better export lambs. In early 1890 I put in a paddock of wheat which was not a success. We had a very good cow which gave six gallons of milk a day when fresh in. We used to make 24 lbs. of butter a week worth 4.5 pence a pound. I sold this cow for 50 pounds when others were only bringing 5 or 6 pounds. Before superphosphate came, I used to broadcast the wheat by hand, carrying about 40 lbs. on ploughed ground and sowing up to 40 acres a day was mighty hard work and carting 4 bushell bags (240 lbs.) [100 kg] was quite enough for me. In 1893 with my brother-in-law Jim Parkes, we took a boat trip from Murray Bridge to Mildura and back with a load of wool, then down to the lakes for another load. I then went on to Adelaide, then train to Moonta and went down copper mine which was working at that time. In 1896 I bought a bike and went with the same pal, took a 1200 mile ride through Victoria to Albury, Melbourne, Portland, Apsley & home, the last day doing 120 miles, I arrived home as fat as a wooden match but none the worse. I was brought up to know the value of money, and not to spend 6 pence where 5 pence would do. I was told to take care of the pennies and the pounds would take care of themselves. I still keep saving and giving it away. W J B & A B M had golden wedding on Oct 2 1957 with all families present, Laurie & Estelle with 3 boys & 3 girls, Olga & Mac with two boys, & Jean & Bryce with 2 boys & 3 girls.